Sunday, February 27, 2011
Guest Blogger Joshua and his Mom tell us about his Favorite Apps
Joshua's Favorite Apps
Sparkabilities Babies 1 HD for iPad - Bottle Rocket is probably his favorite. When he first started playing with it he would play 1 or 2 cards and now he can just keep playing, all the cards and go back for more.
Peekaboo Barn - Night & Day Studios, Inc. is a pretty close 2nd, it was the first paid app I got for him because he loved the lite version.
Hatch! FREE - Phodder was the first app he learned, he learned to keep touching the screen until the egg hatched.
In The Meadow - Tiger Stripes LLC, we have the lite version because as far as I can tell there's no difference (besides additional languages that we don't need). He loves this one and the others from the same developer.
Peekaboo Wild - Night & Day Studios, Inc. is from the same developer as Peekaboo Barn but Joshua likes the barn better.
Talking Tom Cat for iPad - Outfit7, Joshua likes to pet him to make him purr but that's about it.
Working on the Railroad - Tiger Stripes LLC, again we have the lite version as it doesn't seem the paid version offers anything else.
Look Baby! - Deadline was the first app he really liked. He also learned on this app to touch the teddy bear to make him laugh and the butterfly to change it's color and he does still like it.
We have a lot more apps but these are definitely Joshua's favorites. We have lite versions of Dr. Seuss's ABC - Oceanhouse Media, The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss - Oceanhouse Media and Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss - Oceanhouse Media. I like them but Joshua's not crazy about them so I haven't purchased the full version. He does like Little Bella's - I Close My Eyes - Animated Children's Book - Tui Studios which I did purchase the full version of. I like the Siena Entertainment, LLC apps but they're too long and Joshua doesn't really like book apps. I found an app calledMeeGenius! Children's Books - MeeGenius! which offers books and comes with 6 books for free and the app is free, it's nice but the books are very basic no animations.
For communication I have iComm - Bappz , MyTalkTools Mobile - 2nd Half Enterprises LLC and TapToTalk™ - Assistyx LLC. Of them my favorite is iComm - Bappz which we have the free version of and even the free version is customizable but there is no sound in the free version I still like it though for basic pictures. We also have Speech with Milo: Verbs - Doonan Speech Therapy but I don't like that at the end of each verb Milo says TaDa, just annoying but otherwise it's an ok app.
I just downloaded Infant Arcade: Peek-A-Boo - Iskandar, Inc. but Joshua doesn't really like it at least not yet but we got the free versions of Infant Arcade: Peek-A-Boo - Iskandar, Inc., Infant Arcade: Numbers - Iskandar, Inc. and Infant Arcade: Alphabet Creatures - Iskandar, Inc.. He doesn't really like apps where you just touch different things on the screen at least not right now anyway, he likes to just keep tapping the screen like you do in Sparkabilities and Peekaboo Barn. I got Preschool Games - Farm Animals (Photo Touch) - MindValley LLC and Baby Games - My First Shapes - MindValley LLC which are customizable but we have them set on 2 items on the screen and you pick the correct one. Joshua doesn't know to pick what's being asked but he does know that if he picks the wrong one he won't get to the next one so he will pick the other option so he is learning that.
http://elizabethbrown-family.blogspot.com/ Thanks Elizabeth and looking forward to hearing what else Joshua likes.
Sparkabilities Babies 1 HD for iPad - Bottle Rocket is probably his favorite. When he first started playing with it he would play 1 or 2 cards and now he can just keep playing, all the cards and go back for more.
Peekaboo Barn - Night & Day Studios, Inc. is a pretty close 2nd, it was the first paid app I got for him because he loved the lite version.
Hatch! FREE - Phodder was the first app he learned, he learned to keep touching the screen until the egg hatched.
In The Meadow - Tiger Stripes LLC, we have the lite version because as far as I can tell there's no difference (besides additional languages that we don't need). He loves this one and the others from the same developer.
Peekaboo Wild - Night & Day Studios, Inc. is from the same developer as Peekaboo Barn but Joshua likes the barn better.
Talking Tom Cat for iPad - Outfit7, Joshua likes to pet him to make him purr but that's about it.
Working on the Railroad - Tiger Stripes LLC, again we have the lite version as it doesn't seem the paid version offers anything else.
Look Baby! - Deadline was the first app he really liked. He also learned on this app to touch the teddy bear to make him laugh and the butterfly to change it's color and he does still like it.
We have a lot more apps but these are definitely Joshua's favorites. We have lite versions of Dr. Seuss's ABC - Oceanhouse Media, The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss - Oceanhouse Media and Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss - Oceanhouse Media. I like them but Joshua's not crazy about them so I haven't purchased the full version. He does like Little Bella's - I Close My Eyes - Animated Children's Book - Tui Studios which I did purchase the full version of. I like the Siena Entertainment, LLC apps but they're too long and Joshua doesn't really like book apps. I found an app calledMeeGenius! Children's Books - MeeGenius! which offers books and comes with 6 books for free and the app is free, it's nice but the books are very basic no animations.
For communication I have iComm - Bappz , MyTalkTools Mobile - 2nd Half Enterprises LLC and TapToTalk™ - Assistyx LLC. Of them my favorite is iComm - Bappz which we have the free version of and even the free version is customizable but there is no sound in the free version I still like it though for basic pictures. We also have Speech with Milo: Verbs - Doonan Speech Therapy but I don't like that at the end of each verb Milo says TaDa, just annoying but otherwise it's an ok app.
I just downloaded Infant Arcade: Peek-A-Boo - Iskandar, Inc. but Joshua doesn't really like it at least not yet but we got the free versions of Infant Arcade: Peek-A-Boo - Iskandar, Inc., Infant Arcade: Numbers - Iskandar, Inc. and Infant Arcade: Alphabet Creatures - Iskandar, Inc.. He doesn't really like apps where you just touch different things on the screen at least not right now anyway, he likes to just keep tapping the screen like you do in Sparkabilities and Peekaboo Barn. I got Preschool Games - Farm Animals (Photo Touch) - MindValley LLC and Baby Games - My First Shapes - MindValley LLC which are customizable but we have them set on 2 items on the screen and you pick the correct one. Joshua doesn't know to pick what's being asked but he does know that if he picks the wrong one he won't get to the next one so he will pick the other option so he is learning that.
http://elizabethbrown-family.blogspot.com/ Thanks Elizabeth and looking forward to hearing what else Joshua likes.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
TapSpeak Button Update.... A must app for our emergent communicators
The TapSpeak Button for iPad - Ted Conley update is out! There's lots of neat stuff in it. Photos, PCS, button folders, tap/touch tuning and lots more.
Documentation for the new features will be up on the website soon. A couple of tips before it comes out:
- In portrait orientation, swipe down to show the toolbar and swipe up to dismiss it.
- Pan and zoom a button with a two-finger drag or pinch
TapSpeak Button for iPad - Ted Conley
Looking forward to using the pictures and the folders. Hoping to have a video up tomorrow of a child using it.
Documentation for the new features will be up on the website soon. A couple of tips before it comes out:
- In portrait orientation, swipe down to show the toolbar and swipe up to dismiss it.
- Pan and zoom a button with a two-finger drag or pinch
TapSpeak Button for iPad - Ted Conley
Looking forward to using the pictures and the folders. Hoping to have a video up tomorrow of a child using it.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Donations are Starting to Come In
I am doing a big push on Facebook asking each of my friends to donate $1. I have over $200 now and would love to have an iPad to a child by April and then at least 1 every 3 months. Please add this link to your blogs and Facebook pages asking for $1. $1 from a lot of people can go a long way. Thanks everyone.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Junior's Favorite Apps Part 1
http://juniorsvoice.blogspot.com/
This list is apps that we use often (or used often and Junior has now outgrown). Most of these apps have minimal background clutter and simple pictures so he is better able to focus on what he is doing. Most also have a nice response when he gets something right(clapping, loud noise, music etc.) which Junior really likes.
First our most used phonics/spelling/writing apps.
TeachMe: Kindergarten - 24x7digital LLC - this app allows you to keep track of what your child has learned and you can adjust the levels. It works on math and reading skills and is an app that we use regularly.
Word Magic - anusen.com - Probably our most used word app. It allows you to specify the number of letters you want in the words. Which letter you want to be left out for the child to fill in(first, middle, last), and allows you to set a timer if needed. The same company that makes this app makes several others which we have also been very pleased with. Work on different things but all the same style which for us is good.
Miss Spell's Class - Dictionary.com - (made by the same company who created Word Magic) this is an app I recently got. It gives a picture and says the word, the child then adds the letters. A good app for learning to spell. I think this will be one that gets a lot of use as Junior's reading skills improve.
Alpha Writer, by Montessorium - Montessorium, LLC. - This is an app I just found today and though I rarely buy apps this was worth the purchase. The voice says the correct sound (not the letter name) and allows you to use blends which it will also pronounce. It can be done in a quiz type form or as a story board where the child can create words and add picture magnets. There aren't a huge number of pictures magnets available but I am still impressed, I would love it if something like this were available but you were able to add your own pics.
ABC - Magnetic Alphabet HD - Learn to Write! For Kids - Dot Next - Another app that gets a lot of use in our house. Basically it is a magnet board. You put up the letters you want. There are upper and lowercase letters, numbers, etc.
Alphabet Tracer - EllieSoft - An app we don't use as often but still like. It allows you to trace a letter or words. My only complaint is that it says the word names but not the sounds. I usually turn the sound off when we use this app.
ABC Alphabet Phonics - Preschool Kids Game Free Lite - GrasshopperApps.com - another app we like but don't use often. Like the previous app it uses letter names instead of sounds. Junior likes it because when you get a word right all the letters get up and dance.
ABC Phonics Animals Writing HD - for iPad - Brain Counts (same name as the previous but a different app, this one has four animals on the app symbol) - Allows you to trace letters or words, says the word and has a picture with each word which makes noise when touched. A fun app for early readers needing lots of repetition. We do enjoy this one and use it occasionally.
FirstWords: Deluxe - Learning Touch - This is a great app for beginning readers. It is too easy for Junior because it is matching letters in words but for a child working on learning the letters it is great. We still do it occasionally just for fun.
Intro to Letters, by Montessorium - Montessorium, LLC. - Great app for learning letter sounds. Trace the letter and the app voice says the sound of the letter. Also has blends which the app says the sound for. Allows you to record your own voice saying the sounds.
Letter Writer Space (Kindergarten ABC's) - Barking Dog Interactive/ Letter Writer Oceans (Preschool ABC's) - Barking Dog Interactive - This is 2 apps the space has the child trace lowercase letters and the ocean has upper case. A fun app which Junior enjoys.
Thanks Junior and Junior's Mom.... You all are my heros!!!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Guest Blogger ... Krista tells us about Leah and her favorite apps
My daughter, Leah will be 6 in March. She is non-verbal. She has a history of infantile spasms. She has cortical visual impairment, global developmental delays, and complex partial seizures.
Leah has had her iPad for about 6 weeks. At first she needed hand over hand assistance to point and use the apps. She now points on her own and can do some of the apps independently.
Our ultimate goal for the iPad is for Leah to use it as a communication device, but we've found that it is also helping her in other areas. It's helped her with her receptive language, vision, cognition, and fine motor skills.
Leah takes her iPad to preschool with her every day. They use it in circle when they talk about the weather. She uses it at lunch and snack to request food. Her therapists also use it with her in various ways.
One of the neatest things that I've seen Leah do with the iPad is transfer skills from school to home. I was working with her one day on a number app. There were numbers 1-10 randomly arranged on balloons. The objective was to "pop" the balloons in numeric order. I planned on helping Leah by doing hand over hand. Before I could do that, she touched the number one. She continued the whole way up to and including number six. I was amazed! I talked to her teacher and asked her if she had been working with Leah on her numbers and she said that she has her put them in order every daynat school. It was really neat to see that she could transfer that skill that she learned at school to that app on the iPad at home.
Our top ten apps are:
Tap Tap Baby - MoonFry Labs
Baby Rattle Toy: Christmas Edition - SelenaSoft
Discover Musical Instruments - Mathieu Brassard
Baby Finger HD - DJ International
Virtuoso Piano Free 2 HD - Peterb
Itsy Bitsy Spider HD - by Duck Duck Moose - Duck Duck Moose
Wheels on the Bus HD - Duck Duck Moose
Old MacDonald - by Duck Duck Moose - Duck Duck Moose
TapToTalk™ - Assistyx LLC
Adam's Game - Toddler Voice Flash Cards - Sol Robots
Thanks Krista ... Looking forward to hearing more about Leah and her iPad.
Leah has had her iPad for about 6 weeks. At first she needed hand over hand assistance to point and use the apps. She now points on her own and can do some of the apps independently.
Our ultimate goal for the iPad is for Leah to use it as a communication device, but we've found that it is also helping her in other areas. It's helped her with her receptive language, vision, cognition, and fine motor skills.
Leah takes her iPad to preschool with her every day. They use it in circle when they talk about the weather. She uses it at lunch and snack to request food. Her therapists also use it with her in various ways.
One of the neatest things that I've seen Leah do with the iPad is transfer skills from school to home. I was working with her one day on a number app. There were numbers 1-10 randomly arranged on balloons. The objective was to "pop" the balloons in numeric order. I planned on helping Leah by doing hand over hand. Before I could do that, she touched the number one. She continued the whole way up to and including number six. I was amazed! I talked to her teacher and asked her if she had been working with Leah on her numbers and she said that she has her put them in order every daynat school. It was really neat to see that she could transfer that skill that she learned at school to that app on the iPad at home.
Our top ten apps are:
Tap Tap Baby - MoonFry Labs
Baby Rattle Toy: Christmas Edition - SelenaSoft
Discover Musical Instruments - Mathieu Brassard
Baby Finger HD - DJ International
Virtuoso Piano Free 2 HD - Peterb
Itsy Bitsy Spider HD - by Duck Duck Moose - Duck Duck Moose
Wheels on the Bus HD - Duck Duck Moose
Old MacDonald - by Duck Duck Moose - Duck Duck Moose
TapToTalk™ - Assistyx LLC
Adam's Game - Toddler Voice Flash Cards - Sol Robots
Thanks Krista ... Looking forward to hearing more about Leah and her iPad.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Poll Results are Overwhelming to Keep Saving
Looks like we will keep saving for at least a few iPad this year for a few deserving children. If you want to add or share this ChipIn Box on your blog or Facebook. Please copy it and share so we can collect a little more. Every $5 gets us closer to our goal.
Thanks for the support.
Bridget
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Found this app yesterday and I love it.
Ladybird Baby Touch: Peekaboo - Penguin Books From the makers of Ladybird Books those famous simple picture books from the UK. This is a simple picture peek a boo app with soft sounds and simple pictures. Your child can use it by touching the screen to get the pictures to change change or by just watching it like a movie.
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