App Review: VowelViz by Complete Speech

I was given the awesome opportunity to trial the new app, VowelViz, created by Complete Speech. VowelViz can be purchased through the iTunes app store for $29.99. I know...a bit pricey; but if you have students who need real-time visual feedback on their vowel productions, this is an app you'll want to check out.

Per the description on iTunes - "VowelViz is an innovative speech mapping tool that displays vowel productions in real-time. With applications in speech therapy, accent reduction/second language learning, and home practice, VowelViz is a versatile and easy to use tool for practicing vowels."

When you open the app you will see the Vowel Quadrilateral (displayed below). As you all know, this chart represent tongue placement in the mouth during vowel productions. As your student produces each vowel sound, VowelViz captures their productions through the iPad’s microphone, then displays a bouncy orange ball to show them where their vowel productions are falling. Your students goal is to have the ball hover within the area of the targeted vowel sound.

This app was very easy to use, and involved very little set-up to get started. I do wish there was an option to track data and record student responses, but overall, if you have students on your caseload who struggles with vowel productions, this is a nice tool for them to self monitor, and adjust their productions. It can be used with a wide age range of students. I had pre-school students trial, as well as 5th graders, and both age groups were able to follow the concepts of "getting the ball in the goal."

Complete Speech offers a variety of tutorials, and how to videos on their website, check those out here. If you're interested in purchasing this app, you can find it here in the iTunes app store.

Enjoy!

App Review: Answering TherAppy plus {GIVEAWAY}

I was given the amazing opportunity to review the app: Answering TherAppy, created by Tactus Therapy Solutions. This has quickly become one of my favorite apps to use with my students who are struggling with understanding and answering questions. There is a full version ($19.99), and a LITE version (with limited content - FREE) available for download through the iTunes app store. I was given the full version to review. There are so many great features built into it; I'll try to highlight a few that I feel make it one of the most versatile question apps I've used.

1. The Tutorial/Set-Up - If you're like me, sometimes you bypass the tutorial and try to figure things out as you go, but you won't want to do that on this app. This app was created with some pretty amazing (easy to customize) features; you'll want to know how to utilize them all! The tutorial is user friendly, easy to understand, and has plenty of picture supports. You'll see exactly what each section looks like as you maneuver through set-up. There is also a great video demonstration. Click here to view.

2. The Questions - This app combines yes/no questions and wh-questions in one spot! You can even customize the questions using personal information about each user (which I have to admit is one of my MOST favorite parts). This app was also created to measure receptive and expressive responses - again, all in ONE app. (PS, The app will even notify you if you're iPad is set to mute prior to beginning...I thought that was kind of awesome. How many times have you started a session with NO sound?)

Yes/No (7 levels) - Your student will hear the question and respond with a "yes" or "no". The 7 levels include: personal questions (level 1), picture identification (levels 2-4), two semantic elements (level 5), three semantic elements (level 6), and four semantic elements (level 7).   

Wh-Questions (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, Which, Whose, How much, How far,  How many, and How long) - Your students will hear and/or see a question with 2-4 response (again, this can all be customized) displayed. The app will track the receptive responses on its own. In the expressive mode, you (the clinician) will select if the answer was correct, cued, or incorrect.

 If you click on "hint" at the top - it give a brief definition of what the question is looking for (e.g., "Where asks for a location.")

Personal Questions - This is one of the most amazing features of this app. You have the option of filling out a personal questionnaire for each of your students/clients (including sibling’s names, parents’ names, birth dates, hair/eye color, etc...). Questions are then formulated based on your answers. It was so funny to see my students react to the personal questions, especially when sibling's names came up! They loved it!

Higher Level Questions - Work on reading or auditory comprehension without picture support. Target semantics, comparisons and temporal relationships, or make up your own questions for any level! The ability to truly customize this app is one of its best features! 


3. Tracking Data - This is done in the "User Hub." Scores from each session are saved and graphed (which was another one of my favorite features). Data collected can then be emailed per session, or per activity to other providers (or parents) if needed. This again, is another great feature (as I know we are all data junkies). 

Tactus Therapy Solutions really took the time putting together an app that was not only user friendly, but functional, and efficient. This app was easy to maneuver through, easy to set up, and easy to use in both individual and group sessions. I don't think you'll be disappointed. To download on iTunes click here. 

If you'd like a chance to win this app, complete the Rafflecopter steps below to enter! Thanks to Tactus Therapy Solutions, I'll be giving-a-way TWO copies! Enjoy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DynaVox Mayer-Johnson PCS™ Say it Right™ - Articulation Flip Books {App Review}

This has to be one of my favorite PSC apps! Last week I wrote a review on the PCS BINGO and Memory Apps, so today I thought I'd follow up with my latest review of another one of their apps. PCS™ Say it Right™ - Articulation Flip Books. This app retails on iTunes for $9.99. Per the iTunes description - This app can be used "for single word practice with the first and third panels, phrase practice with the middle panel and use all three panels for sentence practice. As an added Bonus, the App is great for expressive and receptive language as well. Use the app to practice: Verb Tenses, Pronouns, Prepositional Phrases, Syntax, Sentence Formulation and Word Retrieval, Why/How Prediction, WH-Questions and Vocabulary Development." Click here to see this app in the app store.

When you open the app you'll see the home page (screen shot below)

 

Then you can touch the arrow on the right side of the screen and scroll through all of the target sounds available (The Entire World™ - AR , EAR, ER, OR, Recurrent R's and IRE, RL and Prevocalic R, R Blends, S and Z, SH and CH, K and G, TH, F and V, P and B, T and D, M and N, S, R and L Blends, and W, H and L) WHEW! A massive collection of sounds - all in one spot! Can't beat that!

 

 

 

Once you select your target set - you'll be taken to the very AWESOME flip book! (Screen shot below).

 

 

My students were able to quickly flip through the pages to create new sentences, or if working on single words, flip to their new word. The graphics were amazing, and my students couldn't WAIT to flip to the next card.

 

While this app was primarily designed with articulation in mind, I was also able to target sentence expansion, prepositions, pronouns, parts of speech, etc...So for $9.99, not too shabby. I used this app in both small groups and with individual students. Both were fairly easy to set-up (although a few of the groups took a bit more time because a few of the students were not working on the same sound - so I had to go back to the home screen, and scroll to find their sound between turns). Again, the graphics were WONDERFUL, and my students LOVED "flipping" the pages. I do wish there was a way to track data, but with all that's offered in this app - paper and pencil didn't kill me.

 

So, if  you're looking for an app that's quick and versatile. This is it! Check out my reviews of the PCS™ BINGO and Memory here. To purchase this app click here. **Please note: there is a FREE version of this app (with limited content), as well as a full version of this app ($9.99)**

 

Again, thank you to DynaVox Mayer-Johnson for providing me with a copy to review - and for providing THREE copies to my super fabulous readers! **Congratulations again to the following readers who won copies of this app last week -  Staci F, Jennifer A, and Sarah A**

DynaVox Mayer-Johnson PCS™ BINGO and Memory {App Reviews}

The folks over at DynaVox Mayer-Johnson recently updated and re-released all of their PCS™ apps. One of their representatives provided me with a few copies to review. I had the opportunity to use them with my students last week, so I hope this review will give you valuable information on how two of these apps may fit into your therapy 'buckets'.  (I'll post one more review later this week - you won't want to miss it!)

PCS™ Bingo ($4.99)  - Per the iTunes description - This app "provides a fun, mobile way to practice vocabulary, articulation, language and rhyming and is great for general education students, students with autism, Down Syndrome and Speech and Language delays." 

When first opening the app you are taken to a home page with tabs across the top (as this app has the functionality to target both articulation and language skills). The tabs are labeled - vocabulary, articulation, language, and rhyming. As you select a tab, you are given a larger array of vocabulary categories, speech sounds (/b/, ch, /d, f, g, j, k, l/, /l/ blends, /m/, /r/ blends, /n, p, r, s/, /s/ blends, sh, /t/, th, /v/, vocalic /r/ and /z/), language concepts (e.g., adjectives, alphabet, opposites, synonyms), and word families (for rhyming - -ish, -at, -ed, -ig, -og, and -ub) to choose from. Your selection will then be included on your BINGO card (either 3 X 3 or 5 X 5). See screen shots below.

Your student moves the marker to the matching picture on the BINGO board. Once your student hits their BINGO - a statement of praise is given and then followed up by a little animated video (which you can turn on or off on the settings).  See screen shots below.

Love it - The graphics in this app are really nice. I love that it has the option of the animated "reward" at the end of each game. It targets quite a few concepts (a list of all of the concepts and categories can be found here on the iTunes description), and my students LOVED it. Again, this app can be used when targeting both articulation and language goals...and did I mention you get all of this for $4.99. AMAZING! Overall this was a great app for my students. Especially for my students working on early language skills and my students working on building vocabulary for their devices.

A little something to think about - I wish it had a data tracker, or a way to monitor a students accuracy while on the app (but for $4.99 I can't complain too much about that!)...Also, I think it would be nice to offer different colored BINGO markers - or maybe have the ability to have two BINGO boards at one time (if I had two or more students in a group working on this activity, I had to remember who put their marker in which spot because my younger students didn't always remember).

Click here to purchase this app online. **Please note: there is a FREE version of this app (with limited content), as well as a full version of this app ($4.99)**


PCS™ Memory ($4.99) - Per the iTunes description - This app "provides a fun, mobile way to practice vocabulary, articulation, language and rhyming and is great for general education students, students with autism, Down Syndrome and Speech and Language delays."



Again, as listed above - when first opening the app you are taken to a home page with tabs across the top. The tabs are labeled - vocabulary, articulation, language, and rhyming. As you select a tab, you are given a larger array of vocabulary categories, speech sounds (same as above), language concepts (e.g., adjectives, alphabet, opposites, synonyms), and word families (for rhyming - -ish, -at, -ed, -ig, -og, and -ub) to choose from. Your selection will then be included on your Memory Board (either 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, or 20 cards). See screen shots below.

Your student selects a card and tries to make a match by selecting another card on the picture board. Once your student has all of the cards turned over - another statement of praise is given and then followed up by a little animated video (which you can turn on or off on the settings). See screen shots below.

Love it - Again, the graphics in this app are really nice and I love that it has the option of the animated "reward" at the end of each game. Like the app above, it targets quite a few concepts (a list of all of the concepts and categories can be found here on the iTunes description). My students LOVED this app just as much as they did the BINGO app. (PS - Did I mention you get all of this for $4.99). Another AMAZING app from the folks over at DynaVox Mayer-Johnson! Overall this was a great app for my students and I will be using it again during our sessions.

A little something to think about - Again, as SLPs we LOVE our data. I wish it had a data tracker, or a way to monitor a students accuracy while on the app (but again, for $4.99 I can't complain!)

Click here to purchase this app online. **Please note: there is a FREE version of this app (with limited content), as well as a full version of this app ($4.99)**

Final Thoughts - Overall, both of these apps would make great additions to any SLPs therapy bucket. They are easy to use, require very little set-up time, and offer multiple therapy targets - all in one spot! 

**Congratulations to the following readers who won copies of these apps last week - Jill P., Jayne W., Angie L., Stephanie C., and Alison W.**