# House of Learning — A pretend doll house > Interactive pretend doll house for language practice and skill development. (iPhone/iPad app by Smarty Ears.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/house-of-learning/id452080937 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Smarty Ears](https://appshunter.io/developer/348779167) - Category: Education - Price: $6.99 - Rating: 4.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 52 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2011-08-26 - Data updated: 2026-06-01 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/house-of-learning/id452080937/reviews.md ## What is House of Learning? House of Learning is an interactive “play house” with 12 different scenes/rooms where children can drag, drop, and move characters and objects to build meaningful situations—perfect for language practice through play. Created by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, House of Learning is designed for guided interaction. Children learn best when an adult partners with them, models language, and gently prompts them to explain what they’re doing. What kids can do • Explore 12 house scenes and move between rooms • Select from a variety of characters and objects • Create actions and set-ups by placing items in, on, under, next to, above, behind, etc. • Rebuild and re-try setups to practice the same skill in new ways • Use finished scenes to support conversation, vocabulary, and storytelling Great for practicing Prepositions & spatial concepts Many children need repeated, visual practice with words like: in, on, under, above, next to, between, in front of, behind, left, right, on top of Adult-friendly ideas • Guided Builder: Give clear directions as the child moves items. “Put the cup on the table.” “Put the shoes under the bed.” • Silly Builder: Set up a “silly” scene on purpose. “The bed is on top of the pillow!” Ask: “What’s wrong?” Then have the child tell you how to fix it using full sentences. Following directions (1–5 steps) Start simple and build up: • “Get the ball.” • “Get the ball and put it on the bed.” • “Get the ball, put it on the bed, and move the girl next to it.” Storytelling & sequencing Use scene-building to practice: • First/next/last • Who / what / where questions • Describing with full sentences (actions, places, and details) Story Maker using screenshots Create a simple storybook by saving scenes as you go: 1. Set up a scene (place objects + characters) 2. Tap Done to show the camera option 3. Take a snapshot and save it 4. Repeat for the next scene 5. Use the saved images to retell, print, or have the child create their own story ## Key features - 12 interactive scenes - Drag and drop characters/objects - Practice prepositions and spatial concepts - Develop following directions skills - Enhance storytelling and sequencing - Create stories with screenshots ## Recent user reviews (10 of 20) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/house-of-learning/id452080937/reviews.md ### 3/5 — Does not work with iOS 11 *2017-10-23* I’ve had this app for one week and apple updated the iOS and now it won’t open. If there is no update from the developer, it’s money wasted. I have students who were using it for description and prepositions and are very disappointed. ### 5/5 — Great app *2013-08-24* This app has really nice graphics and is very engaging. My students really enjoy putting items in the house independently or by playing a following directions game. ### 5/5 — Fun! *2012-11-08* I just got this and had fun with it. I will use it with my students today! Love the simplicity and attractive graphics. ### 3/5 — Better for older students *2012-06-25* As much fun as my younger students have with the idea of it, and as versatile as it is for language targets, my younger kiddos have a difficult time manipulating the icons. Heck, even I have a hard time sometimes! I love how it can be used for a lot of spatial and size concepts, as well as following directions. When you add the people, you can target pronouns and sentence formulation. Lots of ideas for how to use it, but not as user friendly as I would like. ### 5/5 — Love this app *2012-05-18* I love this app for all of my students. It is great for working on prepositions, following directions, and even articulation at the conversation level. The kids ask to play with it as a reward at the end of the session. ### 4/5 — Many uses *2012-04-09* This app is great, and I have used it for many different language activities with me students. I have seen some other reviews talk about the pictures being to small & hard to move & pieces missing(countertops). Would love to have it where most big things(tables, counters, refrigerator, windows, etc) were set & the people & real moveable objects were the only things that moved. ### 1/5 — House of Learning *2012-04-09* Not impressed with the graphics in House of Learning. I'm not sure this app will hold my students' attention. $6.99 down the drain. I have downloaded better FREE app. ### 5/5 — Slp *2012-02-25* The house of learning is a great app to use during speech therapy. It can be used to teach prepositional phrases as well as pronouns. It is great that the people and items are able to be manipulated. Students love it! ### 5/5 — great for prepositions and pronouns *2012-02-25* Love this app for working with students on location and preposition words. Also great for targeting pronouns! ### 5/5 — Wonderful app for teaching prepositions and oral language *2012-02-25* I have used this app for 6 months. it is a great app for teaching concepts. It has the ability to put items directly behind and have it show it behind the other object. The students love to make different scenes. The ability to take a picture and save it is great. The students remember their pictures. It is such a great app that I have not discovered all the uses. You need this app. ## Frequently asked questions about House of Learning ### What is House of Learning? House of Learning is an interactive pretend playhouse app designed to help children practice language skills. It features 12 different scenes where kids can move characters and objects to build situations and develop vocabulary, prepositions, and storytelling abilities. ### What age is House of Learning for? House of Learning is suitable for children aged 4 and up. The app's content and interactive nature are designed to engage young learners and support their language development. ### How does House of Learning help with language development? The app facilitates language practice through play by encouraging children to describe actions, use prepositions, follow directions, and create stories. It's designed for guided interaction, where adults can model language and prompt children to explain what they are doing. ### Can I use House of Learning offline? As a paid application with no ads or in-app purchases, House of Learning is designed for offline use. Once downloaded, children can explore its features and practice language skills without needing an internet connection. ### What devices does House of Learning support? House of Learning currently supports iPads. This ensures a good user experience with the larger screen size and touch capabilities of the device. ### How often is House of Learning updated? The latest version of House of Learning was released on February 20, 2026, indicating regular updates to improve the app. The app has been available since August 26, 2011, showing a long history of development and support. ### What is the price of House of Learning? House of Learning is a paid app priced at $6.99. This one-time purchase provides full access to all features without any additional in-app purchases or advertisements. ### Does House of Learning have ads? No, House of Learning does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it offers an uninterrupted learning experience for children. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 5.0 — 2026-02-20 • Maintenance update for the latest iOS • Performance improvements and minor bug fixes ### 4.0 — 2019-01-27 Enhancement for iOS 12 ### 3.1 — 2017-12-17 Minor updates and adjustments ### 2.1 — 2017-12-11 Fixes crashes when clicking on "people" button ### 2.0 — 2013-10-21 Fixes bugs associated with iOS 7 ## Apps similar to House of Learning | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [入党考试题库](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1475445580) | — | Free | Education | | [MATC - Mid-America Tech Center](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/matc-mid-america-tech-center/id1475301420) | 5.0 (7) | Free | Education | | [Samsa](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samsa/id1468451980) | — | Free | Education | | [小伴龙识字-儿童识字&认字启蒙教育](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/and/id1474232420) | 4.5 (50) | Free | Education | | [CBC Highlands](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbc-highlands/id1475147920) | 4.3 (6) | Free | Education | | [Solis USA States and Capitals](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solis-usa-states-and-capitals/id1479512480) | — | Free | 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.*