My Word Reader: Are Whales Smart, or What?

My Word Reader: Are Whales Smart, or What? is the second in a series of apps developed by Wrinkled Pants, following My Word Reader: Are Bees Smart, or What? which I reviewed here.

Are Whales Smart, or What? follows the same format, using a high interest, reader-friendly story to engage readers ages 8-16 who struggle with reading.  It is based on a true story about Skana and Bella, Orca whales at the Vancouver Aqaurium.

I especially like the feature that will read any word tapped out loud, and then place that word in the Word Bucket for later review.  As with Bees, words highlighted in blue will show a picture of the word when it is tapped.  These two features allow a student to read/listen to the story on their own.

The activities focus on consonant blends, consonant digraphs, word recognition, spelling, blending with short vowels, and reviewing key words.  I personally found the Wheel of Fortune and the Genie games very entertaining. The host on the Wheel of Fortune cracks me up with his gestures and throat-clearing hints.  And just wait until you see what happens when the young boy gets his wish!

I would like to see a function that would let the student record themselves reading the story and reviewing the words in the Word Bucket.  I would also like to see a feature that would save the sentences that students create after completing the activities. Both of these functions would allow the teacher to review a student’s work if s/he isn’t able to work directly with the student while they are using the app.

The website does have a  tutorial that suggests how teachers can use the app with students, including an excellent section on ‘debriefing’ with a student after they’ve finished the story.

Are Whales Smart, or What? addresses a variety of educational standards, such as determining two or more main ideas in a text, and explaining how key details support them, using the text as a reference.  Another standard is drawing on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question. Other standards that apply focus on word recognition, decoding, and fluency.

I especially like this option for extending the learning:

“Dr. Selma Wassermann would love to hear from students who have used the Whales app and would like to tell her their ideas about it.  Students may contact Dr. Wassermann directly on the website: www.wrinkledpants.com or by direct email:  selma_wassermann@sfu.ca.    This not only allows for a culmination of the learning experience, but also extends the students’ literacy skills in a new medium.  All students who do write, will receive a response.”

I think that is a really exciting opportunity for the students.

My Word Reader: Are Whales Smart, or What? is available on iTunes for $4.99.

*I received a complimentary copy of the app in order to write my review.

Cinderella by Nosy Crow Truly Shines on the iPad

Nosy Crow has done it again!  Their app, Cinderella, continues the excellence that started with The Three Little Pigs.  The developers have a strong foundation in what books and storytelling are all about, and it shows in Cinderella.

From the colorful illustrations, to the charming voices of the children who tell the story, to the clever animation, this app is a winner.

Cinderella is not just another version of the famous fairy tale.  There are all kinds of wonderful little touches that bring it to life.  I discover more every time I read it with my three-year-old grandson.  Last week, I finally noticed that as the Prince  sets out on his search for Cinderella, he passes parts of her carriage strewn along the path.

Cinderella appeals to all ages. My daughter couldn’t help laughing when she saw herself in the magic mirror as she read the story with my grandson. He may not get the humor of the Prince asking Cinderella, “Can I text you?” when they are dancing at the ball, but I do. Then there’s the fairy godmother who says, “I always cry at weddings.”

The color of Cinderella’s ball gown can be changed with the touch of a finger.  With another tap, a child can help Cinderella put another log on the fire, stack the invitations to the ball, or help assemble the carriage.  Tap on the musical notes as they float across the page and change the dance music at the ball.

Check it out!

This article, from The Guardian, explains how the creators brought their background in publishing children’s books to the development of iPad interactive books.

Check out the free Lite version, and I guarantee you’ll want to download the whole book!  Cinderella is available in the iTunes app store for $5.99.

*I received a copy of Cinderella from the developer in order to write my review.

I Found It!! An iPad app for Creating Books!

I’ve already added the book my nephew is writing with me to Book Creator, and the first three chapters are on my iTunes bookshelf!

This app is SO intuitive and SO easy to use, you have to buy it if you want to make your own books with your kids or students, or even for yourself.

Review to come after I’ve used it awhile and can describe it in detail.

*I received a promo code for Book Creator from the developer.

Watch for Upcoming App Reviews of…

I’ve been busy testing and playing with several apps, whenever I can get the iPad away from my grandson.  Here’s just a few that I will be reviewing this weekend.

iPlanLessons from iHomeEducator

Cinderella from Nosy Crow

Dexteria for the iPhone from Binary Labs

Are Whales Smart, or What? from Wrinkled Pants Software

Odd1Out from Emantras, Inc.

Phonics Genius from Alligator Apps

*The developers provided the apps for me to review.

Dyslexia Quest: Are You Ready to Climb Yeti Mountain?

Dyslexia Quest is a collection of games that can help you discern your strengths and weaknesses, in areas that frequently cause difficulty for people with dyslexia.  The games focus on working memory, auditory memory, phonological awareness, processing speed, visual memory, and sequencing skills.

There are short videos of several of the games on the Dyslexia Quest website.

Once you’ve completed the quest, you can see an analysis of your results, and whether they show any of the typical signs of dyslexia. The results are categorized as very low, low, average,  high, or very high.  You also receive a score ranging from 0% to 100%. After you’ve played all the games and received your results, you can return to the quest to work on improving weak areas. Your original scores and your improvement will be on the results page.  A useful feature is the ability to email results to yourself or to other interested parties.

In addition to seeing your scores, you can read a brief description of the skill.  For example, the app explains that a weakness in Working Memory can affect reading and spelling, as well as cause difficulties with attention to verbally presented material.   There are also tips to make use of any learning strengths that are detected. As the developer of the app says, however, you would need to be professionally tested to confirm a diagnosis of dyslexia.

There is also a short quiz about skills such as remembering the sequence of phone numbers, losing your place when you read, spelling, and forgetting what you’ve just read. The quiz is also a feature of a free app called What Is Dyslexia? In addition to the quiz, What is Dyslexia features tips for parents and schools, as well as a narrated comic strip about what it’s like to have dyslexia.  This ends on a positive note, with brief mentions of successful people with dyslexia.

Currently, Dyslexia Quest can be used by only one person at a time.  Once that person has completed the quest and/or continued practicing the games, a new user can be created.  The developers hope to address this in a future version.

Dyslexia Quest and What is Dyslexia are from the company Nessy, which is based in the UK. They have developed many educational software titles.  They collaborate with the Bristol Learning Centre to ensure that their products are helpful for dyslexics.  Dyslexia Quest, as well as other Nessy apps, are available  in the iTunes store 

Speech With Milo: Interactive Storybook

I know an app is a good one when my 3 year old grandson returns to it, over and over again, coming up with new ways to interact with it every day.   Speech With Milo: Interactive Storybook  is one of those apps!

The first time through, my grandson was fascinated by the ability to make characters swing, change color, talk (an adorable little voice speaks Milo’s name), spin, and more.

The next time, he listened to the story about Milo going to the park and meeting his friends Melvin and Maggie.

After that, he enjoyed hearing the recording I made to go along with the story.

My grandson also likes pointing to objects after I name them, so he can hear the sounds such as the sheep bleating, the birds chirping, or the bees buzzing.

His latest variation is opening Talking Tom on my iPhone and playing Milo’s Storybook on the iPad so that Tom will repeat what he hears (either the story or the various interactive options).

Next week he’ll probably want to record himself telling the story.

The apps from Speech With Milo were created by Poorani Doonan,  a speech therapist, as portable learning tools for her clients, as well as for parents who want apps that help teach language skills such as predicting, retelling, answering questions, problem-solving and more.

The teacher or parent can also use the record feature of the Interactive Storybook to ask questions and/or think aloud about what’s happening in the story, thus providing support as the child reads/listens to the story when the adult isn’t right there.

The questions can be changed as the child develops the ability to respond to more involved questions.  In addition, the child can record questions for the adult to answer.

If a child has IEP goals addressing parts of speech, verb tenses, expressive or receptive language, etc., the Speech With Milo Storybook can be used to address those, too.  A neat feature would be some way to track progress and/or to email results to others involved in the child’s education.

Speech With Milo: Interactive Storybook is another delightful app that isn’t just for speech therapy! It’s a bargain at $1.99 in the iTunes store.*

For a preview of the book, check out the developer’s YouTube video here.

*disclaimer: I received a promo code from the developer for this app.

Grasshopper Apps: How Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the ways!

1. Simplicity

2. Consistency

3. Variety

4. Value

5. Quality

6. Creativity

7. Quantity

Grasshopper Apps are deceptively simple.  Why do I say that? They appear very basic, but they weave learning so deftly into the game play that it’s very natural.

The consistency of playing style from app to app keeps that learning curve low.

Grasshopper’s wide variety of apps address reading, speaking, writing, math, coordination, problem solving, confidence, creativity, imagination, brain stimulation, and motor skills.

What better value is there than FREE? Join their ‘Free the Apps’ email list and you can try the apps for free.  The catch? Grasshopper just asks for feedback so they can continue to improve their already outstanding field of apps.  If you don’t choose to do that, most of their apps retail for just $0.99!

Grasshopper apps are high quality. Just because the price is low, it doesn’t mean they are putting out schlock! The images they use are colorful, striking, and fun.

There is creativity galore in their apps–for you!  You can customize nearly everything in the apps to the needs of your child.  This includes using your own pictures, making up a story line using your voice and ideas, using highlights for words and pictures, and more.

The sheer quantity of apps offered by Grasshopper is astounding.  They have dozens of apps that your child can use to “open up a world of possibilities.”

Check out the website for Grasshopper Apps, and then get on over to the iTunes app store and find out how many ways YOU love them!

Beautifully Simple! Speech Journal is NOT just for Speech Teachers!

Speech Journal* is beautifully simple, but its potential uses are limited only by your imagination.   For starters, you can:

Make a picture schedule.

Write a social story.

Record oral language samples.

Create a photo album and describe the pictures.

Import drawings and talk about them.

Capture reading fluency and story retelling samples.

Keep a journal of your vacation.

Make personalized alphabet, number, and word books.

It’s as easy as, well, 1-2-3.

1. Create a student profile.

2. Select a photo or take a new one with the iPad2 camera.

3. Record a sentence about the image.

After that, listen to the recording. You can erase it and start over, or you can add on to it (I LOVE that option!), or add more images.

Then, save the recording. Each student will have their own file of saved recordings. These can be replayed, added to, deleted, or shared via email.

Speech Journal is another winner from the Mobile Education Store!

 

Book Bytes: They Say, I Say

I love to read! I’ll share my thoughts (book bytes instead of sound bites) on old favorites and new books for children and adults here.

 

They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein is a very small book with some very big ideas.

The publisher’s blurb says:

“They Say / I Say” shows that writing well means mastering some key rhetorical moves, the most important of which involves summarizing what others have said (“they say”) to set up one’s own argument (“I say”).

In addition to explaining the basic moves, this book provides writing templates that show students explicitly how to make these moves in their own writing.”

While some may cringe at that the thought of using a writing template, Graff and Birkenstein lay out a very good rationale for doing so.  They even make a case for writing in the first person, something that was anathema when I was in college.

They also have a blog by the same name, where they post current articles from a variety of sources, along with prompts for discussion.

The Three Little Pigs on the iPad

You are in for a real treat with this rendition of the traditional Three Little Pigs story.   Readers, from my almost 3 year-old grandson, to an 11 year-old girl and a 12 year-old boy, to my 21 year-old nephew, and me, enjoyed the clever graphics, the wonderful voices, the little tidbits of dialogue, and the stunning way it all comes together.

Here is a  little taste of this charming version of the classic tale.

You can test-drive a “Lite” version of the app by going to the iTunes app store.

Cinderella will be coming out this summer.  I can hardly wait!