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!

S...peachy Feedback {LINKY} Party!

So I'm very tardy for this party, but I didn't want to miss it this month. I'm joining the feedback party hosted by Nicole Allison of Speech Peeps.

I have received so much amazing feedback it was so hard narrowing it down to JUST one (or two)...so, I didn't. This month I picked FIVE of you! Please check for your names below. If you see your name, email me (speechbucket@gmail.com) to receive a FREE product (bundles not included). Thank you all for your support, kind words, suggestions, and encouragement! May you all have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed Holiday Season! 

Arvickery left the following feedback on my Turkey Trouble Book Companion - "When I am looking at book companions, I am looking for one that targets a variety of speech/language skills. I really like how there are so many language skills specifically targeted within this packet, but there are also opportunities for targeting other skills using the open-ended activities. Thank you!"

Crissyssdslp left the following feedback on my Bear Says Thanks Book Companion - "I used this product last month with the kids. It was perfect-I loved the visuals for the sequencing activities and the answering questions sheets. It was great to have for differentiating the activities-some kids needed the visuals and some could use the sheets with no visuals. It was perfect! Thanks"

Amyespy left the following feedback on my If You Take a Mouse to the Movies Book Companion - "I love your book companions!!! Your graphics are always so cute and well done. I love that I can take one book and one packet and have everything covered from sequencing to wh questions to following directions. You cover it all. Thanks for another great product!"

Julie Fogt left the following feedback on my Bear Stays Up for Christmas Book Companion - "I was so excited to purchase this product as I just recently used your Bear Says Thanks book companion. I love love love the vocabulary components of all your Bear book companions. Thank you so much for this product and for the variety of activities within the book companion!"

MsVSLP left the following feedback on my Bear Snores On Book Companion - "I've been using your book companions for some time and enjoying each one, beautiful illustrations, nice variety of activities, kids don't even realize that they "do work", thank you."

Congratulations all! Don't forget to check out the other feedback winners; head back over to the party with Allison's Speech Peeps! 

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

Let the countdown to winter break begin!

If you're like me you have ONE WEEK LEFT until winter break begins. I can't wait! I love this time of year, and I love hauling out all of my favorite holiday books. If you're looking for a few quick holiday themed therapy activities, I've posted some below. These will make planning for your last week of the calendar year a little easier! Enjoy and Happy Holidays from my Speech Bucket to yours!

Gingerbread Baby Book Companion and Gingerbread Baby Mini Book Companion {FREEBIE}

Gingerbread Pronouns

Bear Stays Up for Christmas Book Companion

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies Book Companion and Mouse Tree Decorating {FREEBIE}

The Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Bell 

Roll and Color Articulation and Language Open-Ended Worksheets {FREEBIE}

Holiday and Winter {FREEBIE} Linky Party!

Today I'm joining the Holiday and Winter FREEBIE linky party hosted by Lauren over at Busy Bee Speech. I know the weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter break can seem long, but hopefully some of these freebies will help you out! I've posted some of my most downloaded freebies below.

Gingerbread Baby - Mini Book Companion - This is a mini book companion created to use with the book Gingerbread Baby, by: Jan Brett. This freebie is also featured in the 2013 Teachers Pay Teachers Holiday E-Book (PreK-K Edition).

Roll and Color Winter-Themed Therapy Activities  - This is a collection of open-ended roll and color (or cover) worksheets to use during your articulation or language therapy sessions, as reinforcers, or as homework.

If You Take A Mouse to the Movies - Tree Decorating

The Mitten Sorting Activity (Animal Sorting)

For more holiday and winter themed activities click HERE to visit my store, and don't forget to head back over to Busy Bee Speech to snag more FREEBIES for this holiday season.

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Cyber Monday (and Tuesday) Sale PLUS Linky Party!

Did you hear? There is a HUGE site-wide sale happening on Teachers Pay Teachers this Monday and Tuesday (12/2 - 12/3). Everything in my store will be 20% off (including bundles) AND if you enter the code CYBER at check out you'll receive additional savings from TpT. Don't forget to leave feedback on previous purchases too! You'll earn credits towards your current purchases which SAVES you even more money. Awesome, right?!? You won't want to miss it! Time to empty those wish lists and fill up those carts!

Click here to check out my store. If you're looking for holiday/winter themed materials you'll want to check out some of my newer book companions below. 

Holiday Themed Book Companions

Winter Themed Book Companions

Now, for the LINKY party hosted by Jenna over at Speech Room News. SLPs are linking up to let YOU know what's in their carts. Below, I've listed some of the items that will fill my cart...

1. Going To A Grocery Store: Language & Pragmatic Skills from Speech Time Fun

2. Speech Club Bundle (R, S, TH) from Super Power Speech 

3. Match It Quick Bundle - Later Developing Sounds from Speech Therapy with Courtney Gragg

4. Lots, and lots of clip art! 

Don't forget to head back over to Speech Room News to see what other SLPs have in their carts! Enjoy! and Happy Shopping! 

Love it & List It: Articulation Apps {LINKY}

It's that time again! Another round of Love it & List it, hosted by Jenna over at Speech Room News. This month we're posting info on our favorite articulation apps. I've listed three of my FAVORITES below. 

1. Articulation Station Pro - This app is my go to app for quick, data driven articulation sessions. I can get multiple productions, with multiple kids, in a short amount of time. I love that I can easily maneuver through the different sounds (at different levels) within one articulation group (even if every student in the group is on a different sound). The pictures are clear, and my students LOVE swiping the pictures away! :) 

2. ArtikPix Full - Again, this is another one of my go to apps for articulation sessions, especially now that you can add your own sound cards and pictures! Love it! This is another great app for working on multiple target sounds in both individual and group sessions. This is one of the first articulation apps I owned, and I still use it almost weekly! 

3. R Intensive SLP - This is my MUST HAVE app for the /r/ students on my caseload. They love it! Again, it's an app I can use in both individual sessions or in groups. If you use the Smarty Ears Therapy Center App, it will export the data gathered from your session into your Therapy Center App. Love that! 

Don't forgot to head over to Speech Room News to check out the posts from other SLPs participating in the linky party this week. 

Enjoy!