Monday, June 11, 2012

Articulation Scenes App Review & Giveaway!

Smarty Ears is the techy SLP's best friend! They've created another wonderful app to spice up your articulation therapy with their new app Articulation Scenes. Smarty Ears shared a code for me and one for a lucky SRN follower! The opinions in this review are mine.



Articulation Scenes is an app designed to target 1200 practice words using 72 scenes. The app provides opportunities to target articulation targets without the flashcard feel of most apps!





 Based on scenes, Articulation Scenes provides numerous opportunities for children to pronounce their sounds more clearly. The therapist can enter student's information in order to collect data over time. Once a student's information is entered the app prompts the therapist to select a consonant sound [ p, m , h, w, n, b, d, y, t, k , g, ng, f, ch, j , l , r, v, s, z, sh, th] to target.


There is one scene per sound per position. One of favorite elements is the attention to the /r/ phoneme. Instead of just one post vocalic scene there is one scene per each separate type of /r/ : [ pre-vocalic, blends, air, ar, ear, ire, or, rl ]. Can we all just give a sigh of relief!? Those vocalic /r/ sounds are so needed for my caseload!


Each scene contains 4 separate activities:
1.Find the hidden items: Allows children the opportunities to listen to targeted words and find them on each scene.
2.Tap and say it: Children tap on the items on the scene, which are isolated allowing the therapist to track and monitor their productions.
3.The movie theater: Children get the opportunity to listen to a story using the target words.
4.The production room: This is the activity that allows children to either create their own stories, record them and continue to practice


The app includes data tracking capabilities and a rewards shelf for each child. The developers have also added homework sheets containing the words included on each scene that can be sent home for further practice.  This could be a huge timesaver for you!

The app is focused on articulation, but can easily be used to simultaneously target language skills. Syntax can easily be targeted in the labeling activity by using sentences. The movie theater and production room are great for language skills including organization, narration and syntax. Target inferences by giving clues for the item you want them to find and say. Target fluency skills during both reading and spontaneous generation of sentences.

Limitations:
The app can only be used with one student at time and only with one sound at a time. Not ideal if you're looking for an app for larger therapy groups. I used carrier phrases to get around this limitation of the app. The other feature I would change with the app deals with ease of movement in the app. Once you click on an activity (ie: Tap & Say It), there is no feature to go back the activity selection page. You must start from the home page. I would love if updates allowed therapist to more quickly move from one activity to another for the same sound with a child.

Sounds great right?! I am so excited to be giving away a copy of this great app! The app is currently for sale for $34.99 but will be regularly priced at $49.99.  Enter the rafflecopter below! Goodluck! I will pick a winner Saturday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway