Language Trainer {App Review & Giveaway}

I can't believe it's 2014! The year 2013 was chock full of change, so pardon me for not posting anything since November. Since my last post, I have moved from New York to Pennsylvania, begun working with preschoolers (I think about my middle school kiddos almost everyday), and purchased a home! My husband and I are almost settled in our house, this gives me some time to get back to my blog.

Hooray for homeownership!

I'm excited that my first post for the year will be an app review and giveaway from Smarty Ears called Language Trainer ($14.99).

Language Trainer contains four activities (see below) that include: picture identification, picture naming, divergent naming, and sentence completion.

Language Trainer offers 4 tasks that target receptive & expressive language

Picture Identification:
Users can select an avatar or an existing photo. For the picture identification task, you can increase difficulty by incrementally upping the number of images from two (2) all the way up to five (5).

Settings Screen

Users are instructed to point to an item that is presented auditorally.

Users identify the correct image in the picture identification task

Picture Naming
After being presented with an image, users have the ability to record the name of the item. Their responses can be marked as correct, incorrect or cued (this means the user was provided with some assistance).

Example of the picture naming task

Divergent Naming
Much like the difficulty levels for Picture Identification, users of Divergent Naming can choose to name anywhere between two (2) to six (6) items. Directions can be repeated and responses recorded. 

Users can only be correct/incorrect for this divergent naming task 

Sentence Completion
Lastly, the sentence completion task provides users the ability to provide multiple responses to complete a visually and auditorally presented sentence. As with the picture naming task, users are able to have the sentence repeated as well as have their responses recorded.

Sentence Completion Example

What I Liked:

• Data can be monitored and user performance can be shared with various parties. Additionally, you are able to add any pertinent information and email it with the "Add Notes" option. You can also open historic data in Therapy Report Center, iBooks, Dropbox, print, or just copy.

User performance can be shared all at once or individually

• There is an option to increase the level of difficulty as you progress. If you are consistently getting items correct when presented in a field of 2, it will be presented in a field of 3. 
• The items that are presented can be modified via the "Modify Database" (see below).

Presented items can be selected or removed at users discretion 

What I Would Like To See:

• It would be nice if Language Trainer was more customizable and had the ability to add photos of your own

To view Language Trainer in action take a look at the video below:

Language Trainer by Smarty Ears from Smarty Ears on Vimeo.

App Compatibility:
Language Trainer is compatible with iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Want to try it out for yourself? Please enter below for a chance to win a free download of this app. The giveaway ends Friday, January 31st at 12:01 AM. Good luck!

Please note that comments will ONLY appear once I've reviewed and approved them (prevents postings from spam-bots). If your comment doesn't appear immediately, wait a few hours. 


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Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions.

Expressive {App Review & Giveaway}

When did September get here?! I hope all of you had an enjoyable summer and are refreshed, recharged and ready to roll! For those of you who are experiencing the end of summer blues, you're in luck! Today's post will be a review and giveaway for Expressive from Smarty Ears ($25.99)!

Users select images that appear in the white area to express themselves

This app can be used to communicate by tapping on symbols that in turn produce an audio of the text associated with the image(s).

What I liked:

• Users are able to "lock" the screen as to prevent those with curious fingers from adding or deleting images.

Users can select the lock feature, pick a desired speech rate,
choose from male/female voices, etc.

• This app can be customized. If you can't find what you need from the library (contains over 10,000 images), you can add your own image or folder along with an assortment of colors to choose from! 

Add your own image or create your own folder

• Easy to navigate! This is a pretty straightforward app. For those who are unclear on its use, Smarty Ears has a brief video tutorial to assist.

What I would like to see:

• It would be great if users were able to record their own voices to correspond to the symbols. The voices used on this app sound rather unnatural and robotic.
• I would prefer not to have to erase an entire sentence when trying to edit my productions. The ability to delete individual images as opposed to an entire phrase/sentence would add to this apps ease of use.

App Compatibility:

Expressive is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

To see Expressive in action please take a look at the video below:




Want to try it out for yourself? Please enter below for a chance to win a free download of this app. The giveaway ends Friday, September 6th at 12:01 AM. Good luck!

Please note that comments will ONLY appear once I've reviewed and approved them (prevents postings from spam-bots). If your comment doesn't appear immediately, wait a few hours. 


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Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions.

Rainbow of Emotions {App Review & Giveaway}

I don't know about you, but this has been a busy summer! For those of you who don't know, I'm getting married in a few days/weeks (July 13th and the 26th)....boy does this wedding stuff take up a lot of your time. Even though this is a hectic time for me, I wanted to share with you an app that caught my attention.

Rainbow of Emotions ($4.99) is meant to be used with a range of ages (children to adults), who have difficulties expressing and managing their emotions. After setup, users identify their current emotion along with the degree to which they are experiencing it. A means of coping with the emotion via the tool-belt is selected (see CHARGE tool-belt below). After selecting the tool, users  can indicate whether or not the emotion has been resolved (select the "happy" emotion for resolved feelings).

Things I liked:

• This app allows for a variety of customized features. Users can alter the image of an emotion, record their own voice, add music associated with the emotion or change the images color. Users can also set an alarm clock to go off at a designated time

Customize an emotion with your own image, record your voice, change its color, or add music

Set an alarm to go off as a reminder of a routine

• Users are able to view a history of  how the app has been used (i.e. How emotions have been identified and addressed/resolved)
• The images used are very appealing to the eye
• All proceeds from the purchase of Rainbow of Emotions go to a not-for-profit organization

Things I would like to see:

• A video tutorial demonstrating the setup process for Rainbow of Emotions, as the pdf manual (page 9 and onward) can be confusing and overwhelming for some
• The first screen you're presented with (after setup) are 2 rainbows that users can select. The difference between the "Rainbow of cool and physical emotions" vs. the "Rainbow of cool and uncool emotions" (see below image) was unclear, even after reading the pdf manual

Choose between the Rainbow of cool and physical emotions or the Rainbow of cool and uncool emotions

• The setup process could be a bit more seamless (I found that I frequently had to go "back" in order to setup the app)
• A more straightforward main menu (see below), this way users know that they have to setup the entire app (i.e. fill the tool-belt for all 3 skill levels) prior to utilizing it

Users must setup the app prior to use

Select level of use

CHARGE Belt: Tool-belt used to cope/deal with emotions

• I really would have liked to have Rainbow of Emotions guide me through the setup process, instead of having to rely on a separate manual to assist. 

Want to try it out for yourself? For a chance to win this app please enter below. There are 7 (yes SEVEN) promo codes to giveaway. The giveaway ends Friday, July 12th at 12 AM. Good luck!  

Please note that comments will ONLY appear once I've reviewed and approved them (prevents postings from spam-bots). If your comment doesn't appear immediately, wait a few hours. 

App Compatibility:

Rainbow of Emotions is compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

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Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions.

I Dare You Articulation {App Review & Giveaway}

I have a confession to make, I find articulation therapy boring! (This probably explains why I work with the middle school population). Although I primarily work with older kiddos, I am beginning to get private clients with articulation deficits. Thank goodness for apps like I Dare You Articulation!

For $4.99 users get:

• 600 "daring" scenarios targeting the 7 phonemes pictured above

• Option of having questions read aloud to user

• Option of having answers provided via audio to user

•  Users are able to select phoneme (sound) positions they would like to have targeted (below)

Things I liked:

• Just like Erik Raj's previous app titled Multiple Choice Articulation, this is a very straightforward and user-friendly application.  
• This is certainly a more creative way to promote generalization of target phonemes.
• A variety of skills can be targeted in addition to articulation (e.g. vocabulary, comprehension skills, fluency, execution of directives, turn taking, etc.)
• Erik has created free accompanying flashcards that can be printed, laminated and used with students in a session or at home.

Things I would like to see:

• Many apps these days come with the ability to collect, track, and share user performance. This would be a great feature to include in future updates, as it would allow for not only teachers and parents to monitor progress, but for students to gauge their own growth as well. 
• The ability to combine phoneme positions (initial, final, medial, blend). 

App Compatibility:

Multiple Choice Articulation is ccompatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5 the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, and iPod touch.

For a chance to win this new app please enter below. Good luck!  

Please note that comments will ONLY appear once I've reviewed and approved them (prevents postings from spam-bots). If your comment doesn't appear immediately, wait a few hours. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions. 

Multiple Choice Articulation {App Review & Giveaway}

Rarely do my students who transition to middle school have articulation goals on their IEP's, despite having obvious and consistent errors in their speech. Multiple Choice Articulation (below) is a newly developed app by Erik Raj meant to address articulation while targeting receptive and expressive language in a conversational manner. 

Users are able to target 7 phonemes.

For $9.99 users get:

• Over 500 multiple choice questions targeting 7 phonemes (above image)
• Option of having questions read aloud to user
• Option of having answers provided via audio to user

Users have the option to hear the question and answer

•  Users are able to select phoneme positions they would like to have targeted (below)

Things I liked:

• In addition to articulation, receptive (auditory processing, language memory, 'wh' question comprehension, turn taking, reasoning) and expressive language use (pronoun use, sentence formulation, word order, etc.) are also able to be elicited
•  Students/users will want to discuss these scenarios as they are a departure from the more "traditional" questions adults would ask them e.g. "What would you rather sleep on - a pillow made of smooth mud or a pillow made of itchy cloth? Why?"

Things I would change:

• Visuals of the absurd questions would have been a great addition, as it would add to the discussion as well as provide assistance to those with difficulty visualizing
• Price: Although Erik Raj has churned out some quality apps,  $9.99 is costly for the average SLP/educator who has little to no budget for materials at their place of employment.

App Compatibility:

Multiple Choice Articulation is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

For a chance to win this new app please enter below. Good luck! 

  

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Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions. 

Middle School Confidential: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind {Review & Giveaway}

I think it's pretty obvious by now that I'm enthusiastic over the Middle School Confidential (MSC) series of graphic novel apps, as I'm devoting another post to it!  Real Friends vs. The Other Kind is based on book 2 of the MSC series and I must say, I am pleased yet again!

As the title suggests, friendship is the focus of Real Friends vs. The Other Kind, an issue that is very relevant to middle school. Readers will read about common problems as they relate to respect, peer pressure, fairness, rejection, breakups, and making friends.

Questions & scenarios are posed without being "cheesy

Newly added are the interactive quizzes that can be used to assist students in understanding why certain choices are better than others (see below).

Language skills such as figurative language, perspective taking, sequencing, processing, problem solving, foreshadowing, and social thinking can all be targeted with this easy to use and engaging application.

After purchasing this app  ($2.99), users can download a free 25 Leader's Guide that accompanies the MSC series that contains discussion questions and activities addressed in the app.  

App Compatibility:

Real Friends vs. The Other Kind is Compatible with NOOK, Kindle Fire, nabi, Android tablets, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Take a look at Real Friends vs. The Other Kind in action:



David and Annie Fox (creators) have graciously provided me with a promo code for you to download Real Friends vs. The Other Kind and use with your students!

***UPDATE***

David and Annie have given me 2 more promo codes making it a total of 3 codes that I will be giving away!

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Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions.