In the check & like column: engages students, pre-k 4 yr olds to 1st grade students respond enthusiastically, good data collection tool,email results ability, recording abilities, multiple levels from auditory discrimination, minimal pairs & production, game board flash card option, I could go on but running out of time. In the needs column: "coast/toast" concept goes over typical pre-k. Would like to see an approximate response selection. This is a "no regret purchase"
I like this app a lot and so do my students. BUT it frequently freezes mid-game and we have to start over. That can be frustrating! Please fix that glitch.
I am really enjoying all of the Virtual Speech Center apps. The Phonological Processes app is great! I am and SLP in the public school system and I find this app to be very handy, it requires minimal prep work which is always ideal with my busy schedule. I like that the app (like the other VSC apps) allows me to create a student and keep track of that student's data/progress. The only con to this app, and it's just my personal preference, are the cards "bleed" and "pray" that came up while I was working on CCR with my kindergarteners. One student was confused by "bleed" and the other student started going on about God and heaven when we came across "pray." I don't feel that these two terms are the most appropriate for the setting and the students I see. Besides that, the app is user friendly and fun for the kids.
This is a great app for working with younger elementary age students. The app allows students to play a board game or work on flash cards for most of the phonological processes. Students can practice words in a variety of ways and play a board game without the therapist having to carry a lot of products. This is a go to app for my younger students.
This summer, I utilized this app with a kiddo getting ready to enter Kindergarten…who was battling through verbal apraxia. His intelligibility was approximately 60%. After learning how to use this app (along with SLP guidance/teaching/instruction), this kiddo and his mom practiced abundantly. He enjoyed it tremendously! He is now 80% intelligible. I just wish it was available on the iPhone (6). I no longer had an iPad but am going to use my phone.
My kids enjoy playing this a couple of rounds and then get bored. I just wish it would give you a few choices of different board game pictures. I also found that is sometimes includes sounds that should not be included (ex. "sh" in fronting which is already towards the front unless they mean to work on it because they are producing s/sh not sure?). When I think of fronting I think t/k d/g, etc... maybe I am wrong. I am new at this. For the price the app is not bad.
I use this with my phono students toward the end of a session as a reward. They really like the board game. I like it because I don't have to set up a physical game and deal with pieces, cards, etc. I like that it is customizable for students working on different goals and the graphics are really cute.
It is so difficult to find good phonology apps, but this one is affordable yet filled with great activities. I especially like the minimal pairs that are provided.
I like this app and so do my students. They often request it. What I really need is an app that targets the less frequent phonological processes like postvocalic devoicing versus prevocalic voicing, assimilation, metathesis, blend simplification and syllable deletion. Consider an update adding some of these to what is already a decent app.
****The jungle/safari theme is adorable! The kids loved the board game and all wanted to land on the hippo and the snake. I like the multiple ways to target the processes. (Carries Speech Corner)**** ****If you choose the Game Board option, you get to have some fun in the jungle!! My students are always asking if we are playing the jungle game each time I pull out my iPad! This app is great for data collection and sharing information with parents and teachers! (Kristin C., SLP and blogger)**** The Phonological Processes app was created by a certified speech and language pathologist for children ages 4 and up who exhibit phonological disorders or delays. This research-based app implements a linguistic approach for treatment of phonological disorders by engaging users in minimal pair contrast therapy. Children will have fun drilling with flashcards while playing a colorful animated board game full of surprises. In addition, children can record their productions and compare them with the targeted productions pre-recorded in this app. Phonological Processes app includes the most common phonological processes in the following activities: -Auditory bombardment with minimal pairs -Auditory discrimination with minimal pairs -Minimal pair production -Single word production Phonological processes addressed in this app include the following : -Affrication -Deaffrication -Cluster reduction (with “ L”) -Cluster reduction (with “R”) -Cluster reduction (with “S”) -Cluster reduction (mixed) -Final consonant deletion -Fronting -Gliding (with “L”) -Gliding (with “R”) -Gliding (mixed) -Prevocalic voicing -Stopping of fricatives -Stopping of affricates -Stopping (mixed) The Phonological Processes app is easy to navigate and allows users to employ several tools to perform the following tasks: -Enter multiple students -Change settings and use randomization -Select auto-scoring -Select alternate counts for multiple students -Track correct and incorrect responses -E-mail results at the end of the session Background Phonological processes refer to typical patterns that are used by children to simplify their speech. For example, a young child may say “tar” for “car” or “may” for “make.” Phonological processes are very common among three- and four-year-old children, but most of them should spontaneously resolve by approximately age 5. If phonological processes do not disappear by this age, the child may need formal speech evaluation and intervention. Treatment of Phonological Disorders The Phonological Processes app employs minimal pair contrast therapy. The minimal pair approach to phonological remediation teaches children the function of sounds, emphasizing that changing sounds changes the meaning of a word (Barlow & Gierut, 2002). Minimal contrast therapy targets pairs of words that differ only by one sound. It may focus on the perception of contrast or production of contrast. In the perception task, the child is asked to point to target words when presented with two or more pictures (minimal pairs). In the production task, the child is asked to verbally produce minimal pairs (Bernthal and Bankson 1998). REFERENCES Barlow, J. A., and Gierut, J. A. (2002). Minimal pair approaches to phonological remediation. Seminars in Speech and Language, 23(1), 57-67 Bernthal J. E., and Bankson N.W. (1998). Articulation and Phonological Disorders. 4th edition.
