Gateway

Gateway to Language and Learning© is a series of core word pagesets that supports the language learning needs of young children. It facilitates efficient communication for the competent communicator. There is consistency in the design of all Vocabulary Levels to enable a user to seamlessly move across grid sizes (e.g. 5*6, 6*9, etc.) or advance to the next level of complexity (e.g., Developing Language to Advanced Communicator) while maintaining one’s level of communicative competence.

Gateway is a research-based core word vocabulary designed by Joan Bruno, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. The underlying philosophy of Gateway is to enable effective and efficient communication. All individuals need to be able to say what they want to say, when they want to say it, and to be able to do so with minimum effort. Within Gateway, effective communication is achieved by providing AAC users with access to a high-frequency core vocabulary and fringe vocabulary that is selected to match the user’s age, needs, interests, and linguistic abilities. Efficient communication is achieved by minimizing the number of key selections required to speak each word. The Gateway vocabulary is organized to give the user access to its core vocabulary using an average of less than 1.5 key selections per word. It includes clever features to improve communication speed such as:

intelligent auto-close, e.g.: the Quick Chat folder enables the child to select a word or sentence to quickly react. This page auto-closes after a selection.
sentence development links that facilitate sentence formation. Selecting a verb automatically opens a page of associated objects or “Things” that the child can use to complete a message. For example, after selecting “eat” a page with common foods is automatically opened.
semantic power strips that provide the child with a focused array of words that can offer greater diversity of expression.

Please find the Quick Start Guide for Gateway.

Core

Research-based core word vocabulary

Effective and efficient communication

Organized for an average of less than 1.5 key selections per word

Language development

Supports the language learning needs

Different levels of complexity

Move seamlessly across grid sizes

Gateway© 20 and 40

Gateway 20 targets preschool and school-aged children who are communicating using 1-2 word messages. They can recognize symbols of nouns, verbs and some adjectives and adverbs. These emerging communicators have the potential to improve their expressive language abilities.

Consistency of vocabulary organization supports the principles of language acquisition through motor planning. It contains MAIN and SCHOOL CORE pages that seamlessly link to relevant topical vocabulary without losing access to the high-frequency core words. Theme pages provide activities to promote communication in educational and social settings.

Gateway 40 is designed to meet the needs of school-aged children who are learning to combine symbols to form multi-word messages. These users have the potential to learn how to use word endings, articles, prepositions and to create syntactically complex sentences. This page set is constructed to facilitate the teaching of these language structures within an intervention context.

Gateway 40 maybe a logical next step for children using Gateway 20 who now require a more complex vocabulary and/or who have made significant gains in their expressive language performance.

Both pagesets include a section with information, directions and links to tutorials that can be accessed from Dictionary>Settings>Help. To learn more about Gateway@, please visit www.gatewaytolanguageandlearning.com.

Gateway© 120

Gateway 120 Developing Language pageset is designed for children acquiring language following the typical sequence of language development. It provides a powerful solution for children learning to create simple to complex sentences, communicate in a range of communicative contexts, etc.

HOME and SCHOOL CORE pages seamlessly link to relevant topical vocabulary without losing access to the high-frequency core. In addition to its core words, the HOME page of Gateway 120 DL has folders for key categories such as Question Starters, People, Pronouns, Verbs, Little Words, Describe, Things, and Places. These same folders are consistent for the School Core. Some folders change depending upon whether one is in the HOME Core or within School Environments.

Gateway 120 Advanced Communicator pageset is designed for individuals with complex expressive language skills, who could benefit from an efficient and powerful core word vocabulary enabling complex message generation. It is a logical next step for children using the Developing Language Vocabulary Level, who now require a more mature vocabulary and greater efficiency in message generation to address their daily communication needs.

This level would essentially replicate the developing language content for the Core pages with a few exceptions for verbs and descriptive words. The dynamic morphology would be added for the verbs – adding –ing, want = to +verb, and past following yesterday, last, etc. and for pronouns such as “with, by, etc” that convert to object pronouns.

The COMMUNITY Core page enables users to access topical community and school vocabulary and specific Mind Express features (e.g., Calculator, email, calendar, text…) that support language and literacy development.

Try Gateway for 30 days

Do you want to enable effective and efficient communication? All individuals need to be able to say what they want to say, when they want to say it, and to be able to do so with a minimum of effort. Within Gateway, efficient communication is achieved by minimizing the number of key selections required to speak each word. Effective communication is achieved by providing vocabulary that is selected to match a user’s age, needs, interests, and linguistic abilities. Try out Gateway 20 and/or 40 for free during 30 days or order it right away!

Order Gateway Free trial for 30 days