Syntax Workout

Syntax Workout by Virtual Speech Center Inc. is a wonderful app to work on English grammar skills. This app includes 1500 stimuli. Some of the activities included are do vs. does, is vs. are, pronouns, and more. These types of activities are what my children are currently really working hard at in speech. My boys especially have a very hard time with pronouns so working on these skills continuously is very helpful to them. Almost every day they come home with sheets of homework to work on certain skills and with this app I can add to those skills easily by selecting what they are working on. This app includes a bowling game after a certain amount of correct answers. You can opt to have the bowling game on/off and how many correct answers before being able to play. There is a recording option also that you can have your child record themselves saying the answers and then listen back. This app is one I really like to have the instructions on so they can see the sentence above and then make their choice. I would highly highly highly recommend this app :)

* currently there is a small glitch with this app where you can not select all. This will hopefully be fixed very soon :)

http://www.facebook.com/virtualspeechcenter?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/app/syntax-workout/id619478155
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qkb6a7ZLTQk

Describe With Art

Describe With Art by Virtual Speech Center Inc. is a wonderful app for ages preschool to elementary grades that helps with describing and following directions. This app work with these skills with both receptive and expressive tasks. When you get to the activities screen you can choose between describe it and follow directions. Each of these activities include different categories or sets. You can select all or choose which you would like the user to work on. The painter greats you when you start using the app. There is a record button to have the user record and listen back to their answers. There is an awesome painting activity included for the user to do after they receive so many correct answers. You can choose to have this activity on/off and how many questions correct before it comes on. Before the activity will come up it will ask if you would like to do this now and you can choose go to activity or not right now. This app is really helpful with my children as they have a lot of difficulties describing and following directions. The pictures are realistic and the voice is done very well and easily understood. My children really have enjoyed the incentive this app offers with the painting. I try to use that to my advantage as well by having them draw some type of object that I describe. I would highly highly highly recommend this app :)

http://www.facebook.com/virtualspeechcenter?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/app/describe-with-art/id622806671
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NaTzE36Wxtg

Phonological Processes

Phonological Processes by Virtual Speech Center Inc. is a wonderful app for ages 4 and up who have phonological disorders or delays. This app has four main areas: auditory bombardment with minimal pairs, auditory discrimination with minimal pairs, minimal pair productions, and single word production. Each of these areas include their own set of areas addressed in this app. The settings are great for turning on and off instructions, paging and audio as needed. I like to keep the instructions off so they can't look at the words on the screen instead of hearing them to see which is which lol. This app has two different ways of learning. One is flashcards where a flashcard is shown with one or two pictures to either say or choose from. The other is a fun African animal themed board game that my children love. They sat and played the board game for almost an hour when I tried it with them. They loved landing on the animals to see what they would do :). This app brings fun and learning together very nicely. This is a wonderful app for this age range as most are just learning board games and this one is cute, fun, and educational. I would highly highly highly recommend this app. :)

 http://www.facebook.com/virtualspeechcenter?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/app/phonological-processes/id609362183
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-vsW8GyPVMM

Auditory Processing Studio

Auditory Processing Studio by Virtual Speech Center Inc. is a wonderful app for ages 7+ to work on auditory processing. Now this app is a very unique app for me to review as I am working with it not only with my children but myself as well. Many of you may know that I myself have ADHD and this is just one of the many things it effects with myself. I really like the set up of this app and the ease of use. The settings are done well with choices of what to keep on and what to keep off. You can lower or raise the amount of background noise based on level. You can even turn off the background noise if you would like. There is over 2450 stimuli in this app. The activities included are: Auditory Discrimination, Auditory Closure, Phonological Awareness, and Figure-Ground. Each of these activities have a many different levels included and can be played around with to fit the user. It's always best to start at one of the easier levels and then work up so not to frustrate the user especially when working with a child. I know from myself that if I just keep getting the answers wrong over and over again I may give up and that is what we don't want to happen. On the settings screen I find it best to make sure to turn off instructions so not to give the answer to the user. The instructions will contain the words that are being said and turning them off means the user can not see them so you know it is only based off what they are hearing. On the activities select screen you can choose what activities along with levels you want the user to use. The screen is kid friendly but not so much that it doesn't appeal to older users as well. They have a recording option as well like the rest of the Virtual Speech Center Inc. apps. The only option that I would like to see added in the future is different background noises. Right now they only have static as a background and it can really get annoying lol. It makes a wonderful distraction but can drive you crazy listening to it over and over again lol :). I would highly highly highly recommend this app :)

http://www.facebook.com/virtualspeechcenter?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/auditory-processing-studio/id601557677
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WF2lgOgfrOo

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning by Virtual Speech Center Inc. is an app that works on reasoning and critical thinking skills for ages 12 and up. There is over 1000 stimuli included in this app. There is many different activities included in the app such as: answering why questions, pros and cons, what will happen next, and many many more. There is a puzzle game also included in the app that promotes thinking skills. Like their other apps you get to choose what things you want the user to work on. You can select as many as you want or select all of them. There is four categories with choices and sixteen categories without choices included. Although this app is meant for older children/adults I find this app useful for younger users as well. If you use with younger users you may have to monitor closely to see if they are able to figure out the question given but with a lot of them younger users would still be able to figure it out especially working in a group and working together. The pictures in this app are geared more toward ages 12 and up but are not inappropriate for younger users either. I have my children sit together in a circle and talk together trying to come up with the best answer. If none of them are able to get it I will give hints or explain the answer to them. I love the real pictures used in the app and the voice is very clear. Everything is read aloud to the user so no reading is needed by the user. You can record the user by using the record/play button on the side as well and the score is automatically counted for you as well. When finished a report for that session is provided with the clients name and their score. You can then email the report as needed as well. The reports are stored by goal, date, and user for you on your main screen too. On the main settings page you can choose for: user alternate count, audio, auto paging, random paging, show instructions, enable reward, and award counter as well. With the reward settings enabled the puzzle game will come up after the set amount of correct answers are done. You can choose to do the puzzle game then or keep going. You are able to shut this off in the settings if you do not want the puzzle game to come up at all. I love the rewards Virtual Speech Center Inc. apps have as they keep the user motivated to continue on to that next game :) I would highly highly highly recommend this app :)

http://www.facebook.com/virtualspeechcenter?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/app/verbal-reasoning/id604097479
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=at8_tFVxE2k

Word Retrieval

Word Retrieval by Virtual Speech Center Inc. is a wonderful app for children and adults that have difficulties with word retrieval. There is 7 different category types in this app: name this picture, sentence completion, opposite meanings, convergent naming, divergent naming, associations, and definitions. There is two different activities for the different categories: flashcards and word- challenge game. The flashcards are simply that. A picture is showing and a question is asked for the user to answer. The word challenge game is set up similar to Jeopardy with the many different categories and point amounts. There is many different settings in this app for you to choose for the user. You can decide which of the categories you want the user to work on and which sets of cards you want the user to use. You can select as many as you want or select them all. So far I have been using this app on my 7yr old since he has the most difficulty with these types of activities. He is doing fairly well with the app and he really seems to enjoy the game part of it. I love that there is very little distraction in the app. The scoring system is very easy to use and the results are shown at the end for you to email or keep track of for later. I would defiantly highly highly highly recommend this app :)

http://www.facebook.com/virtualspeechcenter?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/app/word-retrieval/id584851144
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=It-3fhPkJ5Q

Emotions, Feelings and Colors! Educational games for kids in Preschool and Kindergarten

Emotions, Feelings and Colors! Educational games for kids in Preschool and Kindergarten by Tribal Nova is a wonderful learning game for arts and social development for children ages 3 to 6yrs old. This game is not only educational but fun. The emotions/feelings part is done in videos to engage your child even more. With each video your child must choose the correct emotion/feeling for the scene shown. There is three levels of difficulty to choose from. Each level is a little bit harder with more things to do with the video. The colors part of the app has your child copy the picture that is provided for them in the corner of the screen. There is also three levels to this part with increasing difficulty with each level. They have your child even mix colors and lighten them to find the correct color for the picture. Your child will learn problem solving, listening/comprehension, visual and kinesthetic learning, and critical thinking skills as well with this app. My children all loved this app as they have loved all the Tribal Nova apps. All the fun characters from the other Poko series are there such as Bibi and Minus. My children all work with this app since they all have problems with emotions and feelings due to special needs. The coloring part is also helpful with just learning problem solving skills, visual and thinking skills. I find this app to be very helpful in the special needs community as it mixes fun with learning in an easy to use way that children love. The video format for the feelings/emotions is defiantly helpful in getting children to use the app and enjoy it. I would highly highly highly recommend this app :)

http://www.facebook.com/ilearnwith?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.ilearnwith.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/emotions-feelings-colors-!/id581936735?ls=1&mt=8
http://vimeo.com/50610720