This program is designed for any early reader. It is a three letter spelling program where the child is presented with a visual, letters and a template in which they are required to drag and drop the letters into the correct space. When the letter is selected a voice pronounces it and when all three letters are chosen the voice then says the word; spells it again reinforcing the sound and the spelling of that word. What I like about this program is the child cannot spell the word incorrectly as the dragged letter automatically goes to the correct space where the letter is already represented. This program would support early literacy with letter sound recognition and also fine motor skills development. I selected this program because it is a fun, interactive and engaging way for learners to develop skills needed prior to reading.
Tumblebooks are books that can be found online and are geared for many reading levels. They are animated, voice activated talking read along books where sentences are highlighted as they are spoken. Each page is filled with visuals and the talking characters tell the story.
These books would help support reluctant readers and teachers in many ways. They can also serve as a read aloud in the classroom. They are good examples of how to read with fluency. Because the sentences are highlighted as they are spoken the reader can develop word recognition, spelling and sentence structure. Teachers could also design activities around comprehension. These books would also be great for a visually impaired learner and a strong audio learner as the story is read aloud to them.
This is an animated program that teaches language through rhymes and songs. It focuses on grammar and parts of speech. Each lesson begins with a song where the sentences are illustrated as the song progresses. The song illustrates and defines a specific part of speech for example, a noun. After the song the reader is presented with a quizz in the form of a sentence and asked to touch for example the noun in that sentence. The correct answer is rewarded with positive reinforcement. If the wrong word is selected it is xed out and the right word is then highlighted.
I think this would be a good program because understanding of parts of speech and sentence structure develops comprehension. It is a fun and interactive way to engage those who need a more stimulating environment in which to learn.
The name of the book is, I Like Sticks. The book is an interactive way to teach reading and word recognition and decoding. The reader and the teacher can select three different ways to interact with the book. The student can either read the book independently, or it can be used as a read aloud. The words are highlighted during the read aloud. This book can teach word recognition, punctuation and fluency while telling a story. The pictures are of real people and things which some students find engaging. This book can also be used to develop comprehension.
This Cat in the hat ebook has three options in which the student can engage. The 'read it myself option' allows the reader to interact with the text at his/her own pace. It has an audio component where when the words are touched they are both highlighted and spoken. Depending on the task at hand the student can touch each word in the sentence in order or touch the individual words. There is also a 'read to me,' and 'auto play,' option which for some reason I couldn't activate. This interactive program would support a reluctant reader who already has some reading and language skills however may need to be engaged in a stimulating manner. It would further develop vocabulary and the read aloud option would allow the student independence. The teacher could also teach comprehension skills around the story.
Sentence Builder is an interactive and fun way to teach children how to create a sentence with both an audio and visual component. The child is presented with a picture and asked to create a sentence by selecting from a variety of words to be put into the right sequence. Upon finishing the sentence the child can activate the select button. If the sentence is not constructed properly a voice says, 'you'll get it next time.' If the sentence is correct the voice reads it and says that it is correct. There are a number of levels in which the child can achieve. The would be good for a child who already has a developed vocabulary of words and is learning to construct sentences. I would use this program with students who are strong auditory learners.
ABC is a wonderful program to help readers develop sight words, build vocabulary and spell. A word is presented on the screen while two bees are holding the words that say spell and say. You choose either option and the bees spell the word or say the word. You then select an arrow to move to the next word. This is a great way to engage reluctant readers in the reading process. The bees do all the work and the students have all the fun.
Farm Animals is part of a series of levelled reading books. In this book the pictures of the farm animals are both real and animated. Under the picture is a sentence made up of two words. The word that matches the picture is underlined. There is no audio component to this program at least not the one I uploaded. I would use this to allow students to match pictures to words and develop word vocabulary. A visual learner would would benefit from using this program.
This e-book has no audio component but each page has text and an animated picture. When underlined words are touched the picture automatically turns revealing the definition of that word as well as a real life image of the picture. At the end of the story comprehension questions are posed. This e-book would appeal to a strong non verbal visual learner.
Creating this collection of apps was a real challenge for me. I had technical difficulties a number of times. For some reason I lost all of the pictures of my apps and I had to retrieve them again. Anyway here they are.
Other Apps Shelley P and I looked at:
The Human Anatomy
Who am I
ABC's easy as 123
Crossword
Toddler Shapes
Pictoral-Letters in pictures
Day 1 in the Elluminate Recorded Classroom
I have to say that was a great learning experience and a lot of fun. I was nervous at first but it was relaxing in the end. What a wonderful, flexible way to learn. I also really enjoyed Barb's shopping list and the picture of her grandson. The demonstrations were informative and interesting. I was thinking about my friend who teaches in the learning centre and how she would appreciate all the apps. I do plan on sharing them with her. I know our focus has been on reluctant learners and learners with reading disabilities thus far but I think all kids in the classroom would benefit from several of these apps.. When Barb mentioned the notion of student's lives being transformed and changed with a simple click and a swipe I became a little emotional because that is what it is all about, helping students gain their independence while learning about the world around them.
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