Fun Timer ($1.99) Fun timer is used to motivate students to complete tasks in a timely manner. The premise of the app is to show them the desired object (recess, toys, books, etc.) Then have the student start the task they need to complete (ie: 20 articulation cards). If the student gets off topic, press the START button. The image at the center of the clock will start to disappear. This represents that if they students waste time, they are losing time in their desired activity.
When the students resume the desired activity, press the stop button.
When you press the stop button, the picture resets. I wish the app would just freeze. Students who are saavy enough realize they can just start the picture back over
Talking Train ($2.99) is an app for story telling and sequencing that features a train. Hello, my name is Jenna and 2/3 of my caseload is obsessed with trains.
Start by tapping the engine. Add the topic or the Title here. Add to the story by tapping each car to add story parts.
At the end of the story, type the microphone icon and record the story.
Other features include the steam puff, that appears if you touch the sky. Use that to encourage anything you're working on with the child (asking, answering questions or articulation)
If you tap the 'go' button the train will move down the train track.
While I can use the story-telling activities for my elementary students, I immediately started thinking about the other skills I can use it for with my train loving students! For articulation, we were working on the /k/ sound. We drew pictures in each box of words with our sounds in the initial, medial and final position!
Other ideas that Meghan told me about and I loved: Personal narratives for kiddos (main idea with 3 details), conversation skills in our groups (asking friends questions to fill in a train car, can add "puffs of smoke when other kids ask a question or make a comment), visual schedules (drawing or importing pictures of the plan), categorization (big train car: fruit, little cars generate apple, banana, pear), syllable sequencing (tapping each car for bee-bee-boo, or even drawing saying nonsense syllables), etc.
You can email the visual and send voice (to parents/caregivers, other team members) which is great to use to send home home programming and/or a note home after sessions with what we have done.
Pros: My students are totally loving all things trains. Thanks to Thomas and Chugginton. I can use this for anything!
Cons: I wish the Fun Timer game would allow me to stop and and re-start with the same picture.
Disclosure Statement: These apps were provided in order to be reviewed. No other compensation was provided.
Now let's get to that giveaway! 3 lucky SRN readers will win Talking Train. Just enter using rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My students would LOVE the talking train! I would use it for articulation and sequencing.
ReplyDeleteSo many of my students love trains that it would be great to map sequencing or articulation sequencing on top of it.
ReplyDeleteI would use it for asking and answering questions and for articulation - modeling.
ReplyDeleteI would use it for sequencing for stories.
ReplyDeleteI would love to try both of these with some of my higher functioning students with autism as a means of encouraging topic maintenance.
ReplyDeleteI would use it to provide prompts for story sequencing.
ReplyDeletelove the sequencing idea!
ReplyDeleteI would use it for story retell and sequencing activities. Lots of good ideas in this post though!
ReplyDeleteAbby
Schoolhouse Talk!
I would use it for the sequencing and retelling activities my little guys need. Yes, I, too, have kiddos obsessed with trains :)
ReplyDeleteSequencing would be a good with this app. Or each train car could be an artic sound to practice and draw.
ReplyDeleteLike you mentioned I think sequencing would be great. I also think artic modeling would be a great think to try but what I am really interested in trying in I have a student with autism that loves trains. It would be great to see if I could get more imitative and expressive language out of him with an app like this.
ReplyDeleteI would use it for sequencing and beginning skills in having a conversation.
ReplyDeleteI agree, sequencing and artic practice. I have a young student with autism who loves the ipad and we could use it for expressive language.
ReplyDeleteI would use it for artic, sequencing, and phonological awareness activities.
ReplyDeleteMy students love trains and would love this app! PLZ!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am impressed by the number of uses for the app. I would be especially interested in using if for story telling and discussing main idea vs. details...thanks so much for the review!
ReplyDeleteThese apps would be very useful for some of my students!!
ReplyDeleteI'd use both for a little motivation on one hand and maybe work some of it into articulation time and some receptive language play.
ReplyDeleteLooks so super fun...I know my kiddos would love this app!
ReplyDeleteI would use it for sequencing, topic maintaince, articulation (writing words in each and the student comes up with a sentence containing all the words).. lots of ideas!
ReplyDeleteI like the sequencing idea! I would probably also be using it as a reinforcer since I also have a lot of kids who love trains!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great app and very versatile - would love it for articulation and story sequencing and love the idea for doing main idea and details too! Helen
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Would love to try this as a sequencing activity for my early elementary self-contained kids!
ReplyDeleteMotivating and interactive, just what my kids love!
ReplyDeleteLike many SLP's much of my caseload is little boys fascinated with trains (and a few little girls as well). All of the ideas listed would be great, especially sequencing and specific articulation activites.
ReplyDeleteMy pk students adore trains and the elementary ones would be so motivated to practice sequencing this way!
ReplyDeleteI would love this - I have several students who love trains. Also many students who need work on sequencing that this would be a great visual for.
ReplyDelete