Shape Coding vs Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shape Coding
This app uses a visual coding system to help children and young people improve their understanding and production of English sentence structure and grammar. It's designed for educators and therapists to personalize learning for individual students.
- Visual coding system for grammar
- Color-coded word classes
- Arrow indicators for tense
- Shape indicators for syntax
- Personalized student profiles
- Customizable word lists
- Text-to-speech functionality
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Please try the free Lite version before purchase to ensure all functionality will work on your device. SHAPE CODING® by Susan Ebbels is a flexible app designed for teachers and speech and language therapists / pathologists to use with children and young people who are having difficulties producing and understanding English sentence structure and grammar. It uses the SHAPE CODING® system which has been shown in several research projects to help children and young people with language disorders increase the length and complexity of sentences they can understand and use and to improve the accuracy of their sentence production. The SHAPE CODING® system uses a visual coding system to show the rules for how words are put together in sentences, to develop the child’s understanding of spoken and written grammar and to develop their ability to use grammar successfully to express themselves. The system includes use of colours (word classes), arrows (tense and aspect), lines (singular and plural) and shapes (syntactic structure). These are all included in the app, but the professional controlling the app can choose which features display for individual students. Multiple “teachers” can use the app and each “teacher” can have multiple students. The app is personalised for each student. The app is designed to be flexible so that professionals can adapt the levels and information displayed to suit the current levels and targets of individual students. The default first setting for each new student includes only basic sentence structures. Further complexity can be turned on (and off) by the “teacher” and individual settings are preserved for each student between uses. The app is equipped with a basic set of words which can be inserted into the shapes to make sentences. However, additional words can be added for individual students, or indeed for all students working with a particular “teacher” (this can be useful for names and topics which are common across a class of students for example). These can either be added before a session with a student, or during a session and can be saved for future use if desired. The app uses text-to-speech, so that students who struggle to read can also use the app. This app assumes a certain degree of familiarity with the SHAPE CODING® system. For more information see www.shapecoding.com. Training on how to use the SHAPE CODING® system is available from https://training.moorhouseinstitute.co.uk/. For a demonstration of some of the features of the app see https://shapecoding.com/demo-videos/, and for Frequently Asked Questions see: https://shapecoding.com/app-info/faqs/. Follow us on Twitter @ShapeCoding, Facebook @ShapeCoding and Instagram @shape_coding or if you have any problems or feedback, please contact us at training@moorhouseschool.co.uk Please review our privacy policy https://shapecoding.com/privacy-policy-apple/
Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps
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Enhance Sentence Skills with Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps! Ready to turn sentence building into a fun and interactive challenge? With Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps, learners can sharpen their sentence skills by identifying and completing the missing elements in a sentence. Developed by a certified Speech-Language Therapist, these activities are perfect for speech therapy, classroom use, or home learning. What is Colourful Semantics? It’s a proven approach to help learners master sentence construction and develop stronger writing skills in a way that's both fun and effective. Fun, Easy, and Engaging! Dive into an activity of your choice—look at the picture, read the sentence with a missing word, and type in the correct answer. It’s simple, effective, and keeps learning exciting! Personalise Your Experience! Make it your own! Customise the TTS voice, switch between American and British English, and choose which semantic elements to display to control the challenge level. Get started with Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps — where learning is fun, flexible, and effective!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps at $8.99 against Shape Coding's $19.99. Shape Coding's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Shape Coding costs $19.99 and Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Shape Coding ships an update every 2 months, Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shape Coding | Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | $8.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 357 MB | 260 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Moor House School & College | Prentke Romich Company |
In-app purchases
Shape Coding
No in-app purchases
Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Shape Coding free?
Is Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps free?
Do Shape Coding or Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shape Coding or Colourful Semantics Fill Gaps?
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