I was so excited when the developers over at Mobile Education Store contacted me. They generously provided me with the opportunity to review & giveaway their app, Language Builder.
Who can benefit from this app?? Any student/client of any age!!
You may create a profile/settings for a student. Like their other apps, you can only have one client profile at a time. You can set it the pictures are random or go in a specific order, if there are hints allowed, and/or audio instructions.
There are three different levels and various category packs you can select from. Students are shown a picture and must record themselves to complete a task. What tasks can you have them perform?
- Describe the picture
- Talk about the picture using a sentence (or more).
- Tell a story about the picture.
- Answer or tell a question about the picture.
- Use a specific word in a sentence to describe the picture.
Now, the app was designed for just describing in a sentence. The hints correspond with that goal in mind.
Level 1 & Original Pack:
If you click “hint,” students are presented with a sentence strip for them to complete using the picture.
Level 2 & sports theme:
As you can see, I clicked “hint.” The hint is no longer a sentence strip but a carrier phrase to help start the student.
Level 3 & school theme:
Students no longer receive visual cues at this level. Students are provided with a verbal hint to use two words in a sentence. This is helpful for students that are non-readers and if they are working on auditory comprehension skills. This is because they must listen, attend, recall, and use!
For all levels, students record themselves and play it back. You can choose to save the recording and/or just move onto a new picture.
If you clicked save, you may access these recordings under the “archives” tab on the bottom. You may replay, delete, and/or email from this tab.
Ways you can help your student learn how to describe the pictures appropriately and accurately:
- make a list of vocabulary based on the picture
- model how to describe the picture in a sentence
- have the student identify correct and incorrect sentences you have produced
- can have students point to named items in the picture to assess receptive skills
- tell students the category you have chosen and come up with a list of potential pictures related to that theme
Things I like about this app:
- Targets receptive and expressive skills
- Allows for student self-monitoring and correction with the record and playback feature
- Pictures with various themes for motivation and vocabulary
- Teaches sentence structure
- Great hints for the various levels
- Can target other skills indirectly and directly with this app
Things I would like to see in an update:
- Data collection feature. Allow for student/therapist to click a correct/incorrect button to keep a tally while using.
- Have a model option for students to hear/see what is expected through the app vs. being provided it by the SLP they are working with.
- A way to select the pictures within the activity packs. This can help with individualizing the activity to each student and their needs.
This app is a little pricey, at $9.99 but you can target numerous goals with it. Learn more by visiting iTunes!
As I mentioned earlier, the developers provided me with another code to give away to one lucky reader!! Enter below!!
