Adaptive Learning in Lalilo

Lalilo's adaptive learning system uses artificial intelligence to present each student with the just-right lessons and exercises, so each student's individual needs are addressed.

The Placement Test

Lalilo has a placement test, which will start automatically when students log in for the first time. Students will spend a few minutes on adaptive exercises that analyze their strengths and areas of growth. Lalilo then places students at a starting lesson that is appropriate for their skill level.

For students who use Star Early Literacy, if a SEL score is available, students will start their precision placement test based on the available score, instead of their grade level. Only Star Early Literacy tests taken within the last two months will be considered (see FAQ).

Lessons & difficulty

Once students are given an individual starting point in the Lalilo curriculum, the adaptive learning technology will determine the difficulty of the content they will be presented with in each lesson. Lessons are made of various Learning Objectives, which correspond to various levels and cognitive tasks. The AI will select the correct levels and cognitive tasks within the Learning Objectives to make sure each student is within their zone of proximal development as they move along their learning progression.

Example: Word family "at"

Let's take a look at lesson Word family "at". It is structured around several Learning Objectives (LOs), varying in difficulty. Within each LO, the difficulty of the exercises will vary: the level will automatically increase or decrease, adjusting to the student's replies. Students will see all LOs within a lesson but they won't see all levels within an LO.

• If students are doing well, they will quickly validate the lesson with the basic levels or challenge levels of each exercise.
• If they are struggling at a given level, they will be given content at a level that provides appropriate scaffolds to support concept mastery before trying again with fewer supports. This is done automatically thanks to our adaptive learning technology.

Here is the lesson's structure:

First Learning Objective → Discovery: The student can manipulate letters to make new words. There's only one level in this LO. The student is presented with a word (written, spoken, and illustrated), and needs to build the word with letters. Check out this example.

Second Learning Objective → Decoding: The student can decode regularly spelled one-syllable words. A word is read aloud and illustrated. Students need to click on the written form of the word.

• Support level 1 → they hear "mat", and they have to choose between mat and man (example).
• Basic level → they hear "mat" and they have to choose between mat, p and at (example).
• Challenge level 1 → they hear "mat" and they have to choose between pat, mat, man, rat (example).

Third Learning Objective → Recognition: The student can use knowledge of word families to match specific sequences of letters in a word. The student will see a one-syllable -at word for 1 to 5 seconds before it disappears. Then they have to find it among a list of 3 letters or words.

• Support level 1 → they see "bat" for 6 seconds. Then they have to find it in this list: the, b, bat (example).
• Support level 2 → same as above, but "bat" disappears after 5 seconds.
• Basic level → same as above, but "bat" disappears after 4 seconds.
• Challenge level 1 → same as above, but "bat" disappears after 3 seconds.
• Challenge level 2 → same as above, but "bat" disappears after 2 seconds.
• Challenge level 3 → same as above, but "bat" disappears after 1.5 seconds.
• Challenge level 4 → same as above, but "bat" disappears after 1 second (example).

Fourth Learning Objective → Memory Game: The student can remember and pair identical words. There's only one level in this LO. The student needs to flip over cards that conceal -at words (example). Because there is an element of luck in this kind of exercise, the student will be able to move on to the next LO after completing this matching LO, and it will not be taken into account in their lesson success rate.

Fifth Learning Objective → Read Aloud: I can read "at" words alone, at the end of a sentence, in between other words (if microphone).If the student does not have a microphone, this LO will be automatically deactivated.

• Basic level → The student is asked to read one word at a time (example).
• Challenge level 1 → The student is asked to read a short sentence that ends with an -at word (example).
• Challenge level 2 → The student is asked to read a short sentence that has an -at word in between other words (example).

Sixth Learning Objective → Sentence Complete: The student can decode regularly spelled one-syllable words within a sentence. The student has to choose the word that best completes a sentence (the sentence is visible on screen).

• Support level 1 → with a photo of a rat, and the voice over says "I see a big rat": I see a big … →rat, pat (example).
• Basic level → same as above, but no photo: I see a big …. →rat, sat (example).
• Challenge level 1 → same as above, but no photo and an additional distractor: I see a big … →rat, sat, hurried(example).

Seventh Learning Objective → Rhyme identification: The student can recognize written rhyming words. The student has to choose the word that rhymes with the word they hear.

• Support level 1 → They hear and see the word "cat", along with an illustration of a cat, and they have to choose between fat and fin. They hear the answer choices read aloud (example).
• Basic level → Same as above, but fat is no longer in bold types (example).
• Challenge level 1 → Same as above, but the words are fat, cut, hat. The student selects more than one rhyming word (example).

Eighth Learning Objective → Complete the word: The student can manipulate letters to make new words. The student has to listen to a word and complete the word they hear.

• Support level 1 → they hear "cat", see a photo of a cat and "__at". They have to choose between c and s. The c is highlighted. (example).
• Basic level → same as above, but they have to choose between c ands. There is no highlighting on the answer choices. (example).
• Challenge level 1 → same as above, but they have to choose between f, c, b, s (example).

If you need further information, feel free to submit a Support ticket.