First Phrases vs Smarty Spell

From SmartAppsforKids.com: "In my opinion, First Phrases is a must-have for parents of children working on increasing expressive vocabulary, as well as the therapists and teachers who support their learning. First Phrases is creative, utilizes the iPad’s features in effective ways, and is engaging for young children. Highly recommended." This interactive, illustrated and animated app is perfect for a toddler, preschooler, or any child who is learning to put two or three word English phrases together. It provides many opportunities to hear (receptive), see, and say/record (expressive--if the child is talking) 72 different verb + noun combinations, such as: eat the carrot, blow the bubble, ride the bike, throw the ball, sleep on the bed, put away the toys, and more. With 6 different characters performing the actions, there are 456 possible animations so your child will never be bored! Each verb form is paired with several associated nouns to make a logical phrase such as "eat the apple" or "eat the banana" or "eat the carrot". It is also a great way to teach the article “the” in a meaningful phrase context. Use with 20 children, making it an excellent choice for professional use by a speech-language pathologist. There is also a group setting that allows several children to be engaged at once yet still have their own personal settings. Replay missed items, email results or print them out on the Session Results page! How to play: Tell the characters what to do! Touch the illustrated parts of the phrases in order one at a time (e.g. “eat... the... carrot”). The child hears the pre-recorded spoken phrase modeled. You can have this repeated once, twice or three times in the settings for maximum auditory input. Children who are not yet talking can skip the recording option and simply tap/see the associated animation on the Easy Level to learn the meanings of the phrases and to build language comprehension. The child then watches the character (bear, mouse, cat, dog, boy or girl) perform the command to help associate the words with their meaning. Now it’s the child’s turn to say it and tell them what to do! Tap the microphone and record, listen again, and watch the character follow the direction. Use the optional visual support to help remember what to say! On the scoring page, an adult can indicate what parts of the verb phrase were produced correctly for data collection if desired, then tap "Done". When all parts of the phrase are correct the character gives a thumbs-up. This format is especially powerful for children with speech delays and autism spectrum disorders who need strong visual support with as little background clutter as possible, and for use in speech therapy sessions. The format also is a terrific way to support early literacy for left to right orientation, reading (with text on feature) and word boundaries. Options include text on/text off, recording feature on/off, girl or boy narration voice models, presentation of the phrase in 3 segments (verb + the + object) or 2 segments (verb + the object). A perfect speech therapy app for children with special needs! PRIVACY POLICY: We do NOT collect personal data from our users and have no ads. Personal data regarding user performance on the tasks on this app are self-contained and not transmitted in any way. This is a one-time download fee. We do not have subscriptions. Developed by noted speech-language pathologist Patti Hamaguchi, M.A., CCC-SLP who is also the author of books such as "Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know", "A Metacognitive Treatment Approach to Treating Auditory Processing Disorders", several tests (RESCA-E, ELCI, TAPS4) To find out more about this app and our other upcoming projects, go to: www.hamaguchiapps.com Questions or need Tech Support? Email us at info@hamaguchiapps.com

Smarty Spell: The Ultimate 3-in-1 Literacy Platform Developed by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Smarty Spell has evolved into a comprehensive educational platform designed to take your student’s spelling and reading abilities to the next level. With a highly engaging new interface, friendly animal mascots, and superior data tracking, Smarty Spell is the perfect tool for educators, therapists, and parents alike. While it comes loaded with over 300 built-in words, the true power of Smarty Spell lies in its incredible flexibility. Students can tackle words based on their grade level (Kindergarten to 6th Grade), explore thematic categories, or master completely custom word lists created by their teacher. Three Ways to Play: Smarty Spell now features three distinct, interactive game modes to keep students engaged while targeting different literacy skills: Spelling Game: Drag and drop letters to spell the target word with full visual and auditory scaffolding. Reading Game: Build sight-word recognition by matching the spoken word and image to the correct text. Missing Letter Game: A fun, tactile experience where students fill in the blanks on a beautiful wooden tray to complete the word. Unmatched Customization & Accessibility: Smarty Spell adapts to every learner. Reinforce specific vocabulary by adding your own words and photos! The app seamlessly blends real, recorded human audio with a newly integrated, high-quality, kid-friendly Text-to-Speech engine, ensuring every word—even your custom ones—is pronounced perfectly. You can also adjust font sizes, toggle visual hints, and switch between uppercase and lowercase letters to meet each student's exact needs. Professional-Grade Data Tracking: Tracking progress is a breeze with our completely overhauled "Report Card" suite. Teachers and parents can monitor overall accuracy over time via intuitive line graphs, or drill down into specific word lists. Because the app tracks data by game type, you will know exactly if a student has mastered "Animals" in Reading, but still needs practice with "Animals" in Spelling! Enjoy the benefits of a clean, modern interface, engaging gameplay, and robust tracking. Key Features Include: The Content: 3 Distinct Game Modes: Spelling, Reading, and Missing Letter. Over 300 Built-In Words: Ready to play immediately. Grade-Level Lists: Organized sequentially from Kindergarten to 6th Grade. Thematic Lists: Animals, Numbers, Colors & Shapes, Classroom, Body Parts, Common Nouns, Clothes, Fruits, and Vegetables. Total Customization: Create custom lists, add new words, and even upload your own photos and audio recordings. The Gameplay: Premium Audio: High-quality, kid-friendly Text-to-Speech alongside real human audio recordings. Audio Spell Letters: Option to have each letter spoken aloud as the student drags it. Visual Hints: Toggle picture clues on or off to increase or decrease difficulty. Word Reading: Turn target word dictation on or off. Capitalization Control: Choose between all capitals, all lowercase, or standard capitalization. Adjustable UI: 3 different font size options for accessibility. Automatic Transition: Move immediately to the next word, or manually transition to control the pace. The Data: Multi-Student Support: Manage profiles and avatars for an entire classroom or caseload. Advanced Report Cards: View line graphs of session-by-session accuracy. Skill Isolation: Data is tracked independently for Reading, Spelling, and Missing Letter games so you know exactly where a student excels. Word-Level Mastery: See exactly which specific words a student got correct or needs to practice. Easy Exporting: Generate beautiful, multi-page PDF reports to email or print directly from the app via AirPrint.