Lego 4+

Lego 4+ is a FREE app that my students and my son/daughter LOVE!  Legos are such a hit among kids, so pairing it with an app is awesome.  The app begins with the child making choices to build a vehicle.  Initially, there are limited choices, but as the child progresses through the levels, additional features are available. The child will need to pick a base for their vehicle, wheels (or feet, love the feet), a driver/front of the vehicle, and a back to the vehicle.  For students, I have them describe what they are picking and they must tell me why they picked a certain part. My daughter picks the feet because she loves the pitter-patter as they run!  She also picks the boy driver for the front of the vehicle, adding that it is her 'big brother'.  She picks the girl for the back of the vehicle, because obviously that is her! The next part of the app is a course where the vehicle moves and collects lego 'coins'.  Additionally, if you pick the helicopter vehicle, you can fly. If you pick the police vehicle, there is a siren, etc. After you finish collecting the coins, there is a gift...you build a lego structure.  These structures are later visible in the background during the course part of the app.  All in all, this app is a must have for lego-enthusiasts, students, and anyone with young children! 

Here are some shots from the Apple Store:

QuickVoice

I have been using QuickVoice quite a bit lately, I really like it. It is basically a voice recorder, but has so many uses! I use the FREE version...it completely suits my needs.  Here are some of the ways I have used it lately:

• Articulation:  I model the targets, the student repeats.  If an auditory model is not needed, the student simply says their word list on their own.  We record sets of words and use playback to score/identify correct productions.  I also email the recordings to the parent.  This way, the parent has an opportunity to hear how I model the word and how the student says their targets during production practice. This is my FAVORITE use of this app...it's great for showing others how to do homework/drill practice in other settings. I have also used this app for auditory bombardment for listening lists and minimal pairs.  The student can wear the earphones so that they are getting increased amplification.
• Language: The students and I use this app to record sentences, vocabulary lists, word banks, etc....you name it.  They can personalize their sentences or word banks by entering their names for the title.  A student could even record a short story or ideas...and then proceed to written form. 
• Auditory Repetition: For student working on memory or auditory processing, I can record sentences for them to repeat.  
• Auditory Listening Tasks: This app could definitely be useful for auditory training at any level: word lists, repeating sentences, listening to paragraphs, etc.  The clinician/teacher would just need to record the information in advance.
• Grammar: I have added a series of sentences that contain grammatical errors, the student can listen and then hit 'pause' when they hear a mistake. 
• Following Directions: Record a variety of oral directions for students to follow. 

This app is because the student can be in charge of hitting the play/pause button, or they could use earphones.

Other uses:

• Spelling Tests, Quizzes: could be recorded and a student could wear earphones to take a quiz 

To email the recording, simply touch the arrow button at the bottom left corner, a prompt will appear. 

Speech/Language Apps

Most of my posts review more of the non-traditional apps that I use for therapy; however, I own a large majority of apps that are specifically designed for Speech/Language therapy.  I guess, I assume that there is an abundance of S/L sites that review these apps, so I try to pick other non-traditional apps to discuss...especially those which might be popular for home practice or parent involvement. Here are some of the more traditional Speech/Language therapy-based apps that I use frequently.  For now I just listed them, and I will work slowly on adding some of my thoughts/likes/dislikes about each app. I won't type too much, there are too many apps!


Articulation:
Articulation Station Pro: By far, this is my favorite articulation app...it has all of the phonemes and you can select the hierarchy level (word or sentence).  The sentences provide multiple targets. Pictures are great. Speech is great...no discrepancy in volume like some of the other apps (not that I have noticed anyway). Very easy to use. This will probably be my recommended app to parents because they can purchase single sounds vs. the entire app.
Articulate It!:  I like this app, I use this one the most for students with articulation needs. I like that it has an auditory model if needed. My only concern is that the speech can be VERY fast at times...and the loudness varies depending on the speaker.  My students need a very reduced rate and consistent loudness.
Speech Trainer 3D:  I have used this several times, it's satisfactory for the price.
/r/ Intensive: It's ok, I tend to refer to my other articulation apps.
QuickVoice: I use this to record articulation practice to send for home practice, or for the student to listen/monitor speech sound production.  Great for auditory bombardment tasks too.

Language ( 'Builder' apps, general language skills, and other misc. language skills)
Language Builder (Deluxe): Love this app!  This is by far an app that I use weekly.  The students are able to listen to their sentences, which helps with self monitoring.  I use this app for grammar, increasing sentence length, articulation, on-topic sentences, etc. Hats off to the 'Builder' developer, he is great at creating lots of options in the settings area.
Sentence Builder: A nice app to address word order, grammar, and sentence-building skills.  For some of my non-readers, I wish that each word/phrase could be read aloud.
Sentence Builder Teen: This is a great app to have for my caseload as I work with many adolescents. There is a lack of apps for this age level.  My only 'wish' is that the sentences were even longer/more complex, or the option to have the words completely scrambled...that way the students would need to drag the words into the appropriate order.
Rainbow Sentences: 
Story Builder:
Let's Name Things Fun Deck: Just a different version of their card-based decks...nothing too fancy. It's nice to use this app for partner work, the students are more excited to use the iPad instead of my 'old cards'. 
Fun Outdoors: I thought I could use this for following directions, which I could, but it is not nearly as nice as some of the other apps, like 123 Sticker...so for $4, I was VERY disappointed with this one. =(
Categories Learning Center: I bought this for $9.99.  It has 5 levels of play: Sorting (1, 2); Where Does It Go?; Category Naming; and Category Selection. I like some features, but have some 'wishes' for other features.  I like that there is a quick play, sometimes I don't need to enter data and I just want to use the app.   In several of the levels, only portions of the task are voiced.  I like apps that allow me to turn voicing on/off.  That way, if my student is a non-reader, all of the names/items can be read to them.  In the case of this app, the category names are written but not read (Sorting - Level 1 and 2, Where Does It Go).  For the most part, the voices (children) are clear.  There are few items that needed to be repeated because the volume was too soft or the rate was too quick.   Overall, I like this app.  I'd probably buy it again; but ideally, I wish it had a bit more to it...for my students with more limited skills (non-readers), as well as higher level students.  I have many older students who still need practice with categorization, maybe sorting higher level vocabulary (states vs countries, etc) which might be picture or word-based.
What Are They Asking? Fun Deck:
What Are They Thinking? Fun Deck:
See.Touch.Learn (by Brain Parade): Free, or purchase the full version.  Great app for vocabulary and associations.  My favorite aspect is the ability to customize!

Vocabulary (homophones, synonyms, antonyms, etc)
Bluster: This is to target synonyms/antonyms...I wish it had more features/modes, but it is good for a basic synonym/antonym app.

Following Directions:
Lexico Cognition:  Awesome app, I only have the free version, but it's a great app for processing complex sentences with spatial concepts/critical elements.  One tip...I instruct the student that they get 1 try, if they guess incorrectly, they must listen to the direction again.  Otherwise, crafty students will just drag the picture around until it snaps into place. =)
Fun with Directions HD:  A very good buy. You can change settings, etc.
More Fun with Directions HD: Also a good app for following directions, you can change the settings, etc.

Semantic Relationships, Analogies, Associations:
Little Solver Preschool Logic:
Little Solver Figural Analogies:
ABA - What does Not Belong?
Clean Up:
ABA What goes together?
NLC Autism: Sorting items into categories, Free, so why not? 
Things that Go Together: Free.  Love it!
Little Matchups The Matching Game:   Free.
Categories Learning Center:  I described this app above (Language category).
See.Touch.Learn (by Brain Parade): Free, or purchase the full version.  Great app for vocabulary and associations.  My favorite aspect is the ability to customize! 

Word Order:
Question Assembly: So far, it's the only app that I have found that works on placing words in order at the question level.
Rainbow Sentences: Has multiple levels of play.  Students must drag words to correct order. Sentence fragments or words can be color coded. 

Verbal Reasoning:
Understanding Inferences Fun Deck:  Just a different version of their card-based decks...nothing too fancy.
Answering How Questions Fun Deck: Just a different version of their card-based decks...nothing too fancy.


Pragmatics:
Conversation Builder Deluxe: This is a good app for practicing conversation: looking at a picture and knowing how to start a conversation, etc.  
What Are They Asking? Fun Deck: Wish Super Duper would add the ability to record.  I bought many of these fun decks, but really they are the same as the actual cards.  Adding the ability to record answers would be a nice addition.
What Are They Thinking? Fun Deck: See my comment above.

Digital StoryTelling, Narratives, etc
Speech Journal:
Pictello:
QuickVoice:
 
Apps for Making My Own Materials
Phonics Genius: Love this app, it's free...but I make custom decks for vocab, synonyms, etc. quite often.
Custom Boards: Great app for building my own materials...I love that the student/I can build a board of their target sounds/words and send it to a parent for home practice.  It is definitely pricey though.
SeeTouchLearn:
Speech Journal:
Pictello:
See.Touch.Learn (by Brain Parade): Free, or purchase the full version.  Great app for vocabulary and associations.  My favorite aspect is the ability to customize! 

Scribble Press

Scribble Press was featured as a FREE app on App Friday (Jan. 13th, 2012).  I installed it and have just begun to look at it, but so far, I see some really great features.  It has several modes:  "My Books" (books that you created and can create), "My Drawings" (drawing/note pad type of feature with lots of neat choices), and a "Gallery" (download other people's creations for free).   So what does this app have to offer?

--My Books:  You can create your own book by choosing from a multitude of pre-made options, or start with a blank book.  Pre-made options include: About Me, Aliens, Family, Fantasy, Holiday, Humor, Most Popular, and School. Within each of those categories, there are sub-choices. For example, within "About Me" there are the following choices: All About Me, If I Ran for President, If I Ruled the World, My Book Favorites, My Day at the Beach, and My Vacation.  To get started, you choose a category, and then a book.  You then are presented with a format, like a Mad-Lib, in which you add certain words...and you go from there.

--My Drawings: When you open a new drawing, you are given a piece of paper and 5 marker tools.  There is also a large box of markers, if you tap on this, you can choose from tons of colors. Select a color, and you are then prompted to pick a marker thickness or stamp marker. These markers will be added to your tool box. You are also given an eraser, a text icon (for typing), a camera, background colors, and pre-drawn pictures.  The pre-drawn pictures are similar to little stickers or characters...I really like this feature!

--Gallery: You can pick from a really large selection of books/pieces of work created by other adults/students.  You can download them and save them to your gallery.  

So, how would I use this app????????


--My Books: Great for creating narratives,  retelling events, creating social stories, doing a "How To..." project, etc.  You can use a blank book, add a cover and as many pages as you want.  Create your own artwork or choose from the pre-made artwork...or take a picture with the camera. I really like the artwork that they include. You can also choose from the pre-made books.  This feature would be great for a cloze reading activity in which students need to consider the theme and use sentence context clues to complete the store by filling in the missing blanks.  Don't forget that students can publish/share the books that they create!!!  They should then be viewable in the Gallery.  I haven't tested this feature yet...but I can only imagine how excited students might get to see their/their friend's books in the Gallery!  The developer also noted that in the future, you will be able to print created works.

--My Drawings: I like the idea of using this as a note pad for something like a graphic organizer, word bank, etc.  I could easily have the students list words associated with a topic/theme (ex: words describing winter).  They could then refer to the notepad as they write descriptive sentences, etc.  This would be a great app to pair with a smartboard; unfortunately, I do not have one!!!!!  But you could project the notepad onto the smartboard for brainstorming sessions, spelling games, math facts, studying vocabulary, etc.  Again, I like the pre-made artwork...you could pick a clipart picture and have the students produce a sentence or story about the item. Again, a smartboard would be awesome with this!!!

--Gallery: This will be great for viewing created work.  I haven't yet found a way to 'search' the gallery.  You have to scroll through. It's great that there are so many stories to choose from for FREE!!!!!  I plan on using these for social stories, comprehension questions, retelling stories, sequencing, etc.

Letters to Santa...with many uses!

Santa Express for Kids
I wish I could have posted this sooner, but this is a free app that I have used with both students and my own children.  It's an app in which you can write/decorate letters to Santa.  If parents/clinicians choose to do so, you can also follow up on Santa.com and the child will receive a return email.  I haven't visited Santa.com yet. Anyway, I like this app, it has some nice features.  You can choose the background for your letter, and many of the backgrounds are holiday-neutral, meaning there is a snow background.  I had one group of students write a letter requesting snow, so we addressed the letter to a weatherman.  We described the type of snow, the amount of snow, why we wanted the snow, and the time we wished our snow would arrive. So this app really can extend past Christmas if desired.  I think the snow request was my favorite use for this app.  Here are some screen shots from the app store.  The snowflake paper is not pictured, but it is when you use the app.   I will be using the snow themed letter after the holidays for some other describing and vocabulary goals. Other ways that I used the app prior to the holidays included:
--listing vocabulary associated with the holidays, then using each word in a sentence
--listing describing words (adjectives and adverbs) associated with the holidays and using each word in a sentence
--listing steps for wrapping a present or other holiday events..."How to" activities  (How to make a snowman, How to make a snowball, How to make hot chocolate, How to wrap a present, How to decorate a tree, etc).  I usually did the typing while the student listed the steps. 

Toca Kitchen

I am sure most people have come to love Toca Boca apps by now.  I had to buy Toca Kitchen on the morning it was released on my personal iPad...Toca apps have come to serve as 'prizes' for hard work with my 2 young children.  Toca Kitchen is priced very well at $1.99 and includes 4 main characters to choose from.  Here are some ways that I use Toca Kitchen:

--Making Predictions/Inferences:  prior to a child/student beginning the app for the first time, I ask them what they think the app will be about and 'how they knew' or 'what clues' they used to come to that prediction.  During the app, I ask the child/student to make predictions about the characters, foods, and reactions.  Ex: What do you think the horse might eat? What do you think the boy might do if we don't cook the steak?

--Sequencing: After a child has prepared a meal for their character, I ask them to tell me the steps.  You can easily make this goal as easy or challenging as needed.

--Looking for subtle clues:  I remind the child/student to watch carefully for subtle clues...the characters all react differently to foods.  Sometimes they lick their lips or frown.  We then talk about why this might have happened.

--Social Skills/Pragmatics:  when in small groups, the students can take turns preparing items.  I have also had the students work together to decide what to do as a group.  This requires being 'flexible' and thinking about our friends, as well as paying attentions/staying on task.

--Articulation: This app is great for targeting certain sounds, such as /f/ and /k/.  I can pair this app with more structured drill of those sounds.  This app is then used to elicit words such as 'food', 'cook', 'carrot', etc. We practice saying sentences such as, "I can cook..." if targeting /k/. 

--Language: This app also serves as opportunities for vocabulary development and sentence formulation related to the kitchen/food group.
 

My son seems to find the cow character creepy, as it has muscles, chest hair, and a tattoo...but other than that, it's been a great hit with children aged 2-8 years.

Hearts and Stars

I came across 2 fun, easy apps that I have been using for /s/ articulation practice, but the apps could easily be used to address other goals.  The apps are called Draw with Stars! and Hearts Extravaganza. Both apps were free at the time of purchase.
How do I use the apps?
The student and I take turns creating 'lines' of stars or hearts while producing a sustained /s/ sound in isolation (ex: "sssss..."). The goal is to work on sustained production of the sound and use controlled airflow.  The student and I vary the activity in several ways:  I draw a line, he/she draws a line;  I make curvy lines, he/she traces over the lines; I fill the screen with about 10 lines, he/she erases the lines.  I typically use this as a warm-up prior to practicing  /s/ words.  The students enjoy choosing hearts or stars (2 different apps), choosing the size of the heart or star, and choosing the colors.  Students also enjoy making the hearts/stars fly off of the page (erasing).

Here is a pictures of some lines that I drew for the student (star app). To erase the stars or hearts (make them fly off of the page), touch the broom in the bottom right corner, then touch the hears/stars.  It can be a bit finicky at times, just re-touch the broom and try again.

Really, you could use either app for so many purposes:  following directions, drawing their name in stars as an incentive after turns at a more structured task, etc.  You could even add a designated number of stars...have the child repeat a target word or phrase...then let the student choose a heart or star fly away!  You are not limited to lines, you can do anything your heart desires.  You can also change the background to a favorite picture or take a picture using the camera.