New QuickStarts in Language Pyramid Levels 3, 4, & 5!
More Language Pyramid Updates!
Over the past few weeks, we have made many of our newest clips more accessible by incorporating them into our Language Pyramid QuickStarts. In my last post, I outlined the changes we made to Level 1 of the Language Pyramid and shared ideas for practicing imitation skills at home. In this article, I will review the changes we have made to Levels 3, 4, and 5. I will explain how to access the updated QuickStarts if your student is already working in one of these levels, and I will suggest a few methods for practicing the carrier phrases learned in Level 5 of the Language Pyramid.
New QuickStart Videos in Levels 3, 4, & 5
On April 13, 2018, we finalized updates to the QuickStart Videos in Level 3 - Basic Word Labels, Level 4 - First Action Words, and Level 5 - Putting Sentences Together. The sections below provide complete lists of new and updated videos for each level.
Level 3 - Basic Word Labels Updates
New Level 3 QuickStarts
These new Level 3 assignments teach basic word labels in a variety of categories.
Basic Word Labels | Food (Breakfast Items)
Basic Word Labels | Foods (Lunch & Dinner)
Basic Word Labels | Colors (Part 1)
Basic Word Labels | Colors (Part 2)
Basic Word Labels | Toys & Games
Basic Word Labels | Bathroom & Bedroom Items
Basic Word Labels | Musical Instruments
Basic Word Labels | Kitchen Items
Basic Word Labels | Household Appliances
Updated Level 3 QuickStarts
These assignments have been updated to use recently uploaded word label generalizations, live action skits, and humor clips.
Basic Word Labels | Shapes
Basic Word Labels | Numbers 1-10
Basic Word Labels | Food (Fruits)
Basic Word Labels | Food (Vegetables)
Basic Word Labels | Body Parts (Part 1)
Basic Word Labels | Body Parts (Part 2)
Basic Word Labels | Clothing
Basic Word Labels | Community Helpers
Basic Word Labels | Land Vehicles
Basic Word Labels | School Items
Basic Word Labels | Weather
Basic Word Labels | Air & Sea Vehicles
Level 4 - First Action Words Updates
Updated Level 4 QuickStarts
These Level 4 assignments have been brought up-to-date with our most recent action word generalizations.
First Action Words | Sit, Throw, Tickle, Wait, Walk, Want
First Action Words | Point, Pull, Push, Read, Ride
First Action Words | Blow, Break, Chew, Clap, Climb, Close
First Action Words | Cry, Eat, Wash, Watch, Wave
First Action Words | Play, Catch, Fall, Open, Run
First Action Words | Color, Cough, Dance, Draw, Drink
First Action Words | Jump, Kick, Kiss, Laugh, Look, Write
First Action Words | Fix, Get, Give, Go, Hug, Tap
First Action Words | See, Shake, Sleep, Slide, Cut
First Action Words | Smell, Sneeze, Stand, Stop, Swing
Level 5 - Putting Sentences Together Updates
New Level 5 QuickStarts
Our library of carrier phrases has grown by leaps and bounds in the months since we launched the new Gemiini. Our new Level 5 QuickStarts bring this curriculum to the Language Pyramid.
Putting Sentences Together | Put In, Go In, & Bye Bye
Putting Sentences Together | Open
Putting Sentences Together | I Like & I Don't Like
Putting Sentences Together | I Made & I Have
Putting Sentences Together | It Is & I Found
Putting Sentences Together | Carrier Phrases with Descriptors
Updated Level 5 QuickStarts
Many of our new carrier phrases clips have been incorporated into the existing Level 5 QuickStarts below.
Putting Sentences Together | I Want
Putting Sentences Together | I See
Putting Sentences Together | I Hear
Putting Sentences Together | I Feel & I Am
How to Use the Updated QuickStart Assignments
We updated levels 3, 4, and 5 on April 13, 2018. Students who tested into any of these levels after April 13, 2018 have already been assigned the new videos. Students who tested into any of these levels before April 13, 2018 will not see the newest videos in their assignments. To use the new assignments with these students, follow these steps:
Log in to your parent account.
Click QuickStart Videos.
Click Language Pyramid Videos.
Locate the level your student is working in and click View All Videos.
Locate the new or modified videos in your student's level and click Assign & Play to send these videos to your student's account.
Please note: If your child was assigned Level 3, 4, or 5 before April 13, 2018, Play Counts of the new assignments will not figure in to the calculation of your child's level progress.
Generalizing with Carrier Phrases
Level 5 is where students make the leap from communicating primarily through one-word utterances to using multiple-word phrases and sentences. Learning carrier phrases helps students understand how words go together to form complete thoughts and lightens the cognitive load required to speak sentences. The phrases learned in this level encourage students to use full sentences to express themselves, make observations, initiate social interaction, make requests, and advocate for themselves.
Some children are reluctant to use more than one word to communicate, even if they have formed full sentences in the past. Using incomplete sentences requires less effort, and after all, your child has probably had success in having his or her needs met using fewer words! To encourage complex and interactive communication, practice using carrier phrases with your child as much as you can in all of your daily routines. Below are several ways you can incorporate carrier phrases into regular interactions with your child.
Play games like I Spy, Go Fish, or Memory that require your child to use carrier phrases.
Use carrier phrases to make full sentences when talking about the events of the game - "I found a match!" or "I have a King!". When reading to your child, point to pictures in the book and use the carrier phrase "I see" to label them.
Encourage your child to use phrases and sentences by incorporating simple carrier phrases into regular activities.
For example, when putting away toys, prompt your child to say, "Put in!" or "Bye bye!" to each item as it is placed where it belongs. "Bye bye, blocks! Bye bye, car! Bye bye, train!"
Ask WH- questions your child can answer using carrier phrases.
Ask questions like, "What do you see?" "What do you have?" and "What do you like?" Phrasing the questions this way allows your child to hear part of the expected response in the question, which helps them remember to use the phrase in their answer.
Make different noises and prompt your student to identify them using the phrase "I hear."
Try imitating animal noises, playing with musical instruments, or making sounds with your body by clapping, knocking on a hard surface, singing, or whistling. Acting silly is a great way to engage young children, and they will enjoy hearing sounds that do not normally come out of an adult's mouth.
Use teachable moments from daily life to generalize carrier phrases.
Pay attention to sights, sounds, and smells in your environment, and use carrier phrases to make observations about them with your child - "I hear rain," "I see a fire truck," "I smell spaghetti," "I am hungry," etc.
Use expansion and fading the prompt to encourage your child to use full sentences.
When your child communicates with you using one word, i.e. saying, "Crackers!" when it's snack time, expand on their language by saying the full sentence back to them - "I want crackers!" Encourage your child to say the full sentence before handing over their desired item. Bringing your child's favorite snack or a highly preferred toy into the mix can really motivate speech.
Children who are learning to use complete sentences for the first time my require frequent prompting. When your child forgets to use a full sentence, remind them to say the whole thing and model the full sentence back to them ("Say, 'I want crackers.'"). As their language skills develop, you can start to fade the prompt by modeling the first part of the sentence without the rest of the words ("I want …"), pausing to allow your child to say the sentence with the blank filled in. Eventually, simply pointing to your mouth when your child forgets to say the whole thing will suffice to remind them of what is expected. Check out the last page of Gemiini's Generalization Explained for more information about fading the prompt.
Reward your child with an abundance of praise and attention when they communicate with full sentences.
Make it a big deal when your child starts stringing words together. You will be amazed when your child starts saying full sentences. Don't hold back - let them know how you feel! Always tell your child what they did that was right, i.e. "That was an amazing sentence!".
For more information about encouraging your child to use carrier phrases, or for any other questions you have about using Gemiini, schedule a free call with our Product Specialists. If you're having technical trouble or need help getting started, check out the articles in our Knowledge Base. If you're looking for clips that don't seem to exist on the site, send a content request to us at videos@gemiini.org.