Farm Academy vs Expressive Go

Farm Academy is a fun and colorful iPad and iPhone app that was created by a certified speech and language pathologist for younger children (18 months–3 years or up). It targets both receptive and expressive language skills and is based on language development research. Farm Academy teaches young children vocabulary related to the farm and also size and quantity concepts. Children will learn 16 farm animals, fruit and vegetables and they will learn number 1-5 and the difference between big and small. Children will first learn the vocabulary in the learn mode and practice them in the play mode. The app contains 8 different activity types in two different modes: Learn Mode (Here, children will learn particular vocabulary through modeling and repetition.) 1. Learn animals 2. Learn food 3. Learn sizes (e.g., "Small dog") 4. Learn counting (e.g., "Five dogs") Play Mode (Here, children will follow directions.) 1. Find animals (e.g., "Show me the pig.") 2. Feed animals (e.g., "Give the apple to the cow.") 3. Sizes (e.g., "Find the big duck.") 4. Counting (e.g., "Count all the animals.") Farm Academy is easy to navigate and includes audio recordings, special sound effects, music, animations, and professional graphics. It also employs technology of randomization in the play mode so children do not simply memorize the words but demonstrate true understanding of the concepts and vocabulary. Background Speech and language development begins before a child says his or her first word. Early adult-infant interactions in the forms of facial expressions, vocalizations, and physical contact trigger a domino effect of speech and language acquisition and progression. Children vary in their development of speech and language, but they follow a natural progression for mastering the skills of language. - 18-month-old toddlers: follow simple commands, start to identify common objects, make requests, imitate single words, and have expressive vocabularies of approximately 20 words. - 24-month-old toddlers: understand more commands, understand at least 300 words, point to pictures in books, name common objects, and have expressive vocabularies of approximately 100 words. - 3-year-old toddlers: follow two-step directions, understand the concepts of big and small, can count to five, have receptive vocabularies of approximately 900 words, and have expressive vocabularies of approximately 250 words. Children learn language and expand their vocabulary through listening, following directions, adult-labeling, imitating, and play. References: Language Development: An Introduction, 8/E Robert E. Owens, Jr., State University of New York, Geneseo

Expressive Go gives a voice to children and adults who don't use speech. Tap pictures to build a message and the app says it out loud, with grammar that helps the sentence come out right. Every board, every tool and every setting is free. No ads, no subscriptions, no account. GRAMMAR THAT HELPS • Verbs follow the subject: "he eats", "she drinks", "they want" • Time words set the tense: "yesterday" + "go" says "went", "tomorrow" + "go" says "will go" • The Time button switches the next verb to past, future or perfect: "they went", "we will play", "she has eaten" • "is" and "has" forms: "he is running", "we have finished" • Plurals after numbers and quantifiers: "2 cookies", "many friends" • "a" or "an" chosen by sound: "an hour", "a uniform" • Adverbs after action words: "run slowly", "talk quietly" • 150+ irregular verbs and nearly 2,000 action words and phrases THE SAME BOARD AS AT THE PLAYGROUND Smarty Symbols communication boards are installed in more than 650 communities: school playgrounds, city parks, libraries, zoos, water parks and pediatric offices. Expressive Go includes a digital replica of each one, with the same words in the same places, plus a voice. Scan the QR code on the board, practice at home and keep talking after you leave. BOARDS FOR EVERY STAGE • Starter (30 buttons), Growing (48), Advanced (84) and Core (119) • School playground, simplified school playground, city playground, library, water park, zoo and pediatrician room • Fitzgerald Key colors: yellow for people, green for actions, orange for things, blue for describing words MAKE IT YOURS • Add your own photos, words and folders • Choose from more than 26,000 Smarty Symbols, an inclusive library that shows children of every background and ability • Hide words, change colors, choose the font and where the words sit on each tile • Type anything with the keyboard and hear it spoken, with letter, word or silent feedback SHOW BIG Press and hold the message to show it large to a communication partner, and share it as text and pictures. VOICES AND SETTINGS • Voices in English, Spanish and Portuguese, with a slow-to-fast speed slider • Speak words as you tap them, or build quietly and speak the whole message • Ignore accidental double taps • Lock the app so boards don't change by accident • Back up every board and setting to Files or iCloud Drive, and restore on another iPad FIND A BOARD NEAR YOU See communication boards at schools, parks and libraries on a map, share them with your school or parks department, and ask for a free quote to bring one to your community. FOUR LANGUAGES Menus and settings in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Designed by speech-language pathologist Barbara Fernandes and the team at Smarty Ears. Symbols by Smarty Symbols.