New Games to Play: Fast Flip and Dr. Eureka

I play games all of the time in my therapy sessions.   In the clinic, our goal is to make therapy fun, and a lot of the times, the kids think we are just playing.  They don't always realize it's therapeutic.  I recently received two new games from Blue Orange Games, and my clients have been LOVING them. I couldn't wait to share them with you!

The first is Fast Flip!  If you and your students/clients love Spot It, then this is a game for you!

Here's the description from Blue Orange Games:
"Get ready to scramble for the match in this crazy fruit salad! Match your fruits to a number, or numbers to a fruit; you don’t know what match you’ll have to find next! Whether you play with the tokens or with the cards alone, all players of any age will be fast flipping for this brain teasing match up. The game comes complete in a tin for your cards and tokens, making it an easy travel item. The magic distribution of fruits on the cards guaranties that there is always one correct answer. You just need to be the fastest to find it!"

Watch this video to learn how to play:



They state that it is a perfect game for visual perception, processing speed, and focus/attention.  I agree with all of those. I also think it's a good game for describing and using specific language.  One of my clients kept saying "4 of those" and I kept cueing for her to tell me 4 of what exactly?  Describe by color, number, function, origin, parts, etc. You name it, we talk about it!

I also use this game for pragmatic skills.  Students sometimes get frustrated when they don't find the match or have difficulty in multiple rounds.  I use that opportunity to discuss what we could say during games and how to be a good sport.

The next game is Dr. Eureka!  My clients love this one too.

Here's a description from Blue Orange Games:
"The brilliant Dr. Eureka has important experiments for you to complete! Pick a challenge card, 3 test tubes and 6 colorful balls to solve his scientific formula. Carefully move your materials from tube to tube without dropping them, and position them as illustrated on the challenge card. This brainteasing party game can be played solitary or competitively. The high quality components and the creative concept make it a challenging game for the whole family."

Watch this video to learn how to play:


The description states that it is a perfect game for fine motor skills, visual perception, processing speed, and attention/focus.  While it is a good game for all of that, what about SLPs?  Well I think this is the perfect game for describing/following directions.  I modified the game a little bit when playing with my clients.  Instead of it being a race to see who could complete the card the fastest, I described the card to my client to see if they could follow all of my directions. Then, I had them describe it to me using specific language! Of course, this is a fun one for pragmatics as well.

Overall, my clients and I love these two games.  In fact, I had one client in particular ask me every session if I had more new games like these because she loved them so much.  These games are engaging and are a fun way to target some of their goals.   They can be therapeutic while still playing.  They have quickly become favorites in my speech room.

What do you think? Do you think your students/clients would like these games?  


Note: Blue Orange Games provided me a copy of both games for my review.  No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are mind.

Test of Articulation and Phonology {app review}

As a speech pathologist in a school setting, I used the Goldman-Fristoe all the time to test for articulation.  It was standardized, which meant our state would accept it.  Well now that I have transitioned to an outpatient clinic, it's a little bit of a different world.  Generally speaking, I still use the Goldman-Fristoe.  But what happens when the child has already been given that at the school recently, and you need something else so you don't invalidate the test results?  That's when I look to other tests.

In the clinic setting, it doesn't necessarily have to be a formal or standardized assessment.  So I usually look to some of the awesome iPad apps that test for articulation. My clients are generally fairly motivated by the iPad as well, so it's a quick and easy way to get data.

All that being said, I was so excited to hear that Smarty Ears just released another new testing app called the Test of Articulation and Phonology!  Let's check it out:

Test of Articulation and Phonology (iTap) is administered very similarly to most articulation tests.  A picture is presented, the child states the object pictured, and errors are recorded.  Instead of writing down each of the errors, you can record them on the iPad.  Simply touch the phoneme produced in error, select the type of error (deletion, distortion, backing, devoicing, substitution, and assimilation).  If it is a substitution error, you can select which phoneme was substituted for the other.

Here's the video tutorial for you to watch for more information:

One of my favorite things about this app is the comprehensive evaluation report that is generated.  It provides the accuracy of phonemes by manner and location in word (initial, medial, final).  It also includes a list of all of the words administered and the transcription of each with any comments you may have added.  Finally, it also lists the percentage of the types of errors (e.g. 50% of errors were substitution).

What I love about this app:
-It's very easy to use.
-It's portable because it's on an iPad.
-It generates a very comprehensive report!
-It is great for the private practice/outpatient clinic setting where you don't need a formal test.
-It is great for progress monitoring in the school setting.
-It has norms based in Central Texas, so if you are from that region, you can use it as standardized!
-There is a helpful manual included under "info."
-It's super easy to request support if you need help.
-It stores all of the previous assessments administered, so you can look back to see if any progress has been made.
-It gives you information on both articulation AND phonology in one test!

What I would love to see in the next update:
-A way to mark multiple errors on any word, especially on blends.  Both consonants of the blend are scored together, so there is no way to mark cluster reduction and gliding for an l-blend, for example.  The only way would be to make a comment on that word.
-This would take a lot of work, I know, but I would love to see it normed on more children across the nation, so that we could use it as a full-blown standardized test!
-I would love to see the normative data published/ accessible through the app.

Overall it's a great app. I would recommend it to school-based SLPs to use for progress monitoring or private practice SLPs for an informal test. If you're in Central Texas, it's a great option for a standardized test.  It's comprehensive report is a time-saver for busy SLPs, and it gives great information about articulation and phonology.

If you are interested in this app, you can find it on the iTunes store here:



What are your favorite tests for articulation and phonology?

Note: A code was provided for my review. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are mine.