# Basic Concepts Skills Screener — Assess Language Skills > App for assessing children's understanding of basic concepts for academic readiness. (iPhone/iPad app by Smarty Ears.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-concepts-skills-screener/id670072162 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Smarty Ears](https://appshunter.io/developer/348779167) - Category: Education, Medical - Price: $39.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 8 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.6 · 63 MB - Languages: English, Portuguese - Released: 2013-07-15 - Data updated: 2026-06-01 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-concepts-skills-screener/id670072162/reviews.md ## What is Basic Concepts Skills Screener? Basic Concepts Skill Screener (BCSS) is a fast, engaging screening app created by certified speech‑language pathologists to measure children’s understanding of basic concepts. Ideal for preschool through early elementary levels, BCSS assesses the concept knowledge needed for pre‑reading and math readiness. Its short sessions and child‑friendly design make it a valuable tool for busy clinicians, teachers, parents and caregivers. Why it matters An understanding of basic concepts helps children follow directions and forms the foundation for reading and mathematics. BCSS evaluates spatial (location), quantitative (number), comparative (description) and temporal (time) concepts, skills most students should master by first grade. Early identification and intervention can reduce the impact of delays on academic and extracurricular activities. What it can do • Collect information about a child’s grasp of basic concepts. • Supplement the data from a standardized language assessment. • Measure skill growth and treatment effectiveness over time. • Compare an individual’s performance with grade‑level peers. • Help educators and clinicians choose areas for targeted intervention. • Indicate how a student may perform on classroom assessments. • Aid in determining whether a language delay or disorder is present. • Identify children who may be at risk for learning disorders. How it works BCSS is designed for single‑player assessment. From the home page the facilitator can add a student, start a screening, access support or review reports. After selecting or adding a student, choose either the full screening (79 questions, about 10–15 minutes) or the quick screening (30 questions, about 5 minutes). Each concept appears with four pictures as answer choices. A tap on a picture marks the response and moves on to the next item. You can end the session at any time via the Done button to view results in the report center. ## Key features - Assesses spatial, quantitative, comparative, and temporal concepts - Measures skill growth and treatment effectiveness - Compares performance to grade-level peers - Identifies children at risk for learning disorders - Supports full screening (79 questions) or quick screening (30 questions) - Child-friendly design with picture-based answer choices ## Recent user reviews (8 of 8) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-concepts-skills-screener/id670072162/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Scoring Issues *2021-06-16, version 3.3* I agree with the previous reviewer. The auto score feature and report generator are useless. I have been hand scoring and there have been as may as nine errors in scoring on one student. I too have been reaching out to Smarty Ears (messenger, website contact, in app contact) and have not received a reply. Very frustrating. ### 1/5 — Major problems with scoring *2021-06-14, version 3.3* I have used this app for years and only recently discovered (I don’t know how long I has been going on for) that it is making MULTIPLE scoring errors to the degree that results are useless. It has been really handy use the app and I found it really helpful in the past, but it is completely unreliable at this point. I tried to contact the developer twice but have had no response. ### 5/5 — A must-have for your toolkit *2019-04-30, version 2.4* I work with ages 3-7 in a school setting and frequently use this app for progress monitoring and as part of the assessment process in combination with other tests. The “long” version is comprehensive and the auto-generated reports are a huge plus! They are easily emailed and sync with the Therapy Report Center, which helps me keep my data in one place. The only small suggestion is that the quick screener could be improved by being slightly more age-specific (e.g. one for 3-4 year olds and one for 5-6 year olds). It is still very useful as it is now, just a minor suggestion :) ### 5/5 — Slpmlj *2018-01-25, version 2.0* Use as pre-post baseline &/or performance assessment for goal/objectives. I appreciate collected data in a reader friendly report for immediate share. I use frequently & glad to have this app, thank you creators & developers. ### 3/5 — BCSS is helpful for screening concepts *2014-05-15, version 1.1* However, I have a problem with one of the items. The children are standing in line to get a drink of water but are facing away from the fountain. The child is supposed to find the child at the end of the line. Generally, the person at the end of the line where the children are facing forward is the last one. Instead this item's correct answer is the child farthest away from the fountain. It took two SLPs to figure out the correct answer! Also, midway through the complete screen the "reinforcer" star stayed put on the page and was there through the rest of the screening test. Don't know if it would happen if I tried again. Great idea for an app though! ### 4/5 — BCSS Ap Review *2013-10-12, version 1.1* I LOVE this Ap. I work in a low income school with a high turn over rate of kiddos that transition in/out of my school. This Ap has been a great for me to collect baseline data on new kiddos as they enter my school. The kids enjoy answering the questions and are motivated to answer more. I like the quick screener for my pre-k kiddos due to attention span. I try to get my kindergarteners to complete the full screener. The only thing I'd change about this ap is-- I wish you could pause your "session" and continue. You must finish each "test" or redo to whole thing. I absolutely love the detailed reports that the Ap writes and parents love them too! I also love that the report includes the norms for typically developing peers. I use this ap all the time and it's a great way to collect baseline data on new kiddos-- or any kiddos working on goals with emebedded concepts. ### 4/5 — Nice screener *2013-08-24, version 1.1* This is a great way to quickly gauge where my kids are at as we start a new year of therapy. It tells how they have done compared to their age group, but it would be nice if it separated out the skills missed by age group also. ### 5/5 — Love it *2013-08-24, version 1.1* I use BCSS to keep track and measure the progress my kids have made over time. I don't track the individual concepts they have mastered, but rather their overall score on the screening. This lets me know if they're learning and retaining the general information. If I worked in a school I would probably use it as a screener. It doesn't have normed scores so I can't use it as a qualifying measure, but that's not how it was advertised anyway. ## Frequently asked questions about Basic Concepts Skills Screener ### What is Basic Concepts Skills Screener used for? Basic Concepts Skills Screener is used to assess children's understanding of fundamental concepts such as location, quantity, and time. This helps identify potential learning delays and informs targeted interventions for academic readiness. ### Who is the target age group for Basic Concepts Skills Screener? The app is ideal for children in preschool through early elementary levels, typically those who should master these skills by first grade. ### How long does a screening session take with Basic Concepts Skills Screener? A full screening consists of 79 questions and takes approximately 10-15 minutes. A quicker screening option is available with 30 questions, taking about 5 minutes. ### What types of concepts does Basic Concepts Skills Screener evaluate? The app evaluates spatial (location), quantitative (number), comparative (description), and temporal (time) concepts, which are crucial for pre-reading and math readiness. ### Can Basic Concepts Skills Screener help track a child's progress? Yes, the app is designed to measure skill growth and treatment effectiveness over time, providing valuable data for educators and clinicians. ### What devices is Basic Concepts Skills Screener compatible with? Currently, Basic Concepts Skills Screener is supported on iPads, making it accessible for many educational settings. ### How does Basic Concepts Skills Screener compare to standardized assessments? BCSS can supplement data from standardized language assessments by providing focused information on basic concept understanding. It helps pinpoint specific areas for intervention. ### Does Basic Concepts Skills Screener have ads? No, Basic Concepts Skills Screener does not contain advertisements, offering an uninterrupted assessment experience for children. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.0 — 2025-10-01 Updated the app to keep it running smoothly ### 3.3 — 2020-01-31 Fix bug on night mode for date picker ### 3.2 — 2020-01-29 Bug fixes and updates ### 3.1 — 2020-01-22 Fix bug with data picker ### 3.0 — 2020-01-11 We have updated the app to the latest iOS ## Apps similar to Basic Concepts Skills Screener | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Articulation Test Center Hive](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/articulation-test-center-hive/id1629999616) | 4.5 (4) | Free | Education | | [SLK Curriculum](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slk-curriculum/id6468837197) | 4.6 (9) | Free | Education | | [AAC Evaluation Genie](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aac-evaluation-genie/id541418407) | 1.0 (1) | $12.99 | Education | | [BITS Lab - staRt](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bits-lab-start/id1198658004) | 4.2 (14) | Free | Education | | [WH Questions Skills](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wh-questions-skills/id1055252994) | 4.3 (4) | Free | Education | | [Video Touch: Jobs](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/video-touch-jobs/id6749593820) | 3.3 (3) | $3.99 | Education | ## More apps by Smarty Ears - [WhQuestions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whquestions/id348905092) - [FonoLógico Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fonologico-pro/id353252255) - [iPractice Verbs](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipractice-verbs/id356668882) - [R intensive Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r-intensive-pro/id371200389) - [Articulation Assessment ToolKt](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/articulation-assessment-toolkt/id371280343) - [Expressive](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expressive/id398345416) All apps by Smarty Ears: https://appshunter.io/developer/348779167 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*