Minimal Pairs vs Plurality

Minimal Pairs is an auditory discrimination activity that helps children discriminate between words that differ in pronunciation by one sound. They learn to hear the difference between words like “stop - top” and “rake - wake”. They are prompted to “Show Me” the target word by tapping on the colorful pictures and listening for the sounds in the target word and a foil. This app uses a phonological approach to remediating speech that is based on the ideas of Hodson and Paden. The program focuses on target patterns rather than target phonemes. One pattern is targeted for a limited time, two to four weeks, then the next pattern is targeted. Hodson and Paden called this method of introducing patterns a “cycle”. A clear speech model is presented for the child to imitate and they can record and play back their own speech. The clinician can choose from three scoring methods. 1. Score each response as correct, distorted or incorrect. 2. Score responses as correct, distorted, substituted, or omitted. 3. Score productions based on whether they are spontaneously correct/incorrect or imitatively correct/incorrect. This app focuses on Final Consonants, Initial Consonants, and Initial /S/ Clusters. Appropriate for children ages 3-5 with impaired speech intelligibility. This app uses the content from the Minimal Pairs game from LocuTour’s Phonology CD.

Plurality is a memory game that makes practicing irregular plurals more portable and fun. Cheerful and colorful pictures demonstrate 24 different English irregular plurals in five levels of difficulty. Choose to use them all or select the ones you want to practice for more customized game play. Up to four players can compete to see who can get the most matches. Settings include an option to hear plurals named as they are touched, written cues and a “sneak peek” at matches. Players can also compete to see who can find a “bonus” match worth extra points.