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. 

Articulation Card Games to Play in Therapy

We are all familiar with Webber Articulation Cards from Super Duper.  If you're like me, you use them daily in therapy.  You can only play so many rounds of the same game before you get bored and the kids get bored.  Today, I want to share with you some of the games we play in my speech room.

I love them because they get the students up and moving.  I also love that they require minimal planning and preparation on my part! Some of them have language components as well!

Go Fish:
Deal 5 cards to each person.  On your turn, ask another person if they have a given card.  If they do, they will give it to you.  If not, they will say, "Go fish" and you draw a card from the draw pile.  Put any matches you have down in front of you.

Speed:
Put 5 cards face up on the table in front of each person.  On your turn, draw a card and say, "Does anyone have _____?"  If you have the card, you place the card you just drew on top of it.  If someone else has it, give it to them.  If no one has it, you place it in front of you.  Whoever finds matches for all of their cards first wins.

Bowling:
If you have bowling pins, place them on top of the cards.  If not, you can use cups or something along those lines.  Roll a ball and knock over pins.  Say the words on the cards under the pins you knocked over.

Bean Bag Toss:
Spread cards out on the floor.  Have the students throw a bean bag toward the cards.  They say the words on the cards where the bean bag landed.

52 Card Pick-Up:
Flick the cards around the room.  Students race to see how many cards they can pick up.  They say the words on the cards they gathered.  Whoever has the most wins.

Feed the ____:
Find a bin or a tissue box.  Place a monster or animal head on it.  As the student says the words, they can feed the monster/animal.  Continue until all of the cards are gone.

Hide and Seek:
Hide the cards around your room.  Describe the card you are looking for.  The students see who can find it first. If you find it, you get a point.  Whoever has the most points at the end wins!

Matamoscas:
The name comes from a game we played in Spanish class with a fly swatter.  We spread the cards out on my table.  Two students face each other.  You describe the word, and they have to swat it.  Whoever swats at it first gets a point.  At the end, whoever has the most points wins.

Dice Roll:
Form six piles of cards and label one through six.  Students roll a dice. The number on the dice indicates which pile they will pull from.  Say the word the number on the dice times 3.

Giant Board Game:
I spread out the cards across the floor as spaces on a game board.  Students roll dice to determine how many spaces to move and then say the word on that space.

Spider Web:
Use tape to form a spider web on the ground.  Place the cards throughout the web.  Students walk around the web and gather the cards.  Say the words they have gathered.

Card Grabber:
Place the cards on the edge of the table, hanging over slightly.  Using tongs or a pincher of some sort, students try and grab as many as they can in a given amount of time.

Password/ Catch Phrase:
Students describe the word on the card to the group without saying the word on the card.  The rest of the students try and guess what it is.  Whoever guesses it first gets a point.

Jenga:
Play Jenga as normal, but place the articulation cards between layers.

Twister:
Place articulation cards on the spots.  If the students moves wants to put his/her hand or foot there, they must say the word on the card.

I Spy:
Place the cards on the table.  Take turns playing I Spy while spying things on the cards.  On your turn, you say, "I spy with my little eye something ____."  The students have to guess which word/card you are referring to.

Sorting:
 Have students sort the cards.  They could sort by number of syllables, people versus object, etc.

What games do you like to play in therapy? 

Speech Sounds by Letter Bookmarks

Last Friday, I posted about a new product, Speech Sounds by Letter Posters.  Be sure to check out that post.  Today, I want to talk about it's companion product: Speech Sounds by Letter Bookmarks!

These Speech Sounds by Letter Bookmarks are perfect for the busy speech-language pathologist who wants to send homework home with his/her students for practice.

Bookmarks for initial, medial, final, mixed, and blend sounds are included.  There are both color and black and white versions. 

These bookmarks are low-prep. Simply print, cut, and send home.

The sounds included in this packet are:
B, P, K, G, S, Z, F, V, H, L, N, M, SH, TH, R, W, J (dg)

If you are interested in these bookmarks, check them out in my TeachersPayTeachers store! 

Speech Sounds by Letter Posters

I am so excited to share a new product with you today!!  They are something I have been working on for a little while now. 

These Speech Sounds by Letter Posters are perfect for your speech room or a traveling speech-language pathologist! Use these to teach your students how to make the sounds or use as a center for them to practice their sounds independently!

The front of the posters include the sound, the letter, a visual cue, and a written cue. The back of the posters include the sound, letter, visual cue, and a word list for practice.

 
The sounds included in this packet are:
B, P, K, G, S, Z, F, V, H, L, N, M, SH, TH, R, W, J (dg)

To prep this product, simply print all pages, fold on the center line, laminate, and go!  I like to print on card stock for extra durability.

I plan to put these posters up around a mirror to create a center where the students can practice their sounds. It will look something like this:  

If you are interested in this product, you can find it in my TpT Store!

Articulation Test Center {app review}

As I have begun to plan for the school year, I've thought a lot about what I will need for my predominantly articulation caseload.  I have had my eye on the Articulation Test Center app ever since I saw it at ASHA in Chicago this fall!   Check it out with me.

The first thing you will notice is that there are two options: a screener and a full test.  They are both great tools to use, so let's look closer.

You will likely get a screen like this pretty soon after opening the app for the first time:

I highly recommend you watch these videos.  They could explain how to use the app way better than I could in a blog post.

Watch the Full Test tutorial here:

Watch the Screener/Quick Test tutorial here:

Another great place to start is the information tab:

Administering the Tests:

Once you start either the screener or the full test, the child will see a series of picture prompts and be asked to say what it is.  You can record the child speaking during the test, which makes it easy to go back and listen later.

To score:
The targeted sounds will be green.  If the child produces it incorrectly, simply click on the sound and it will change to red.  If it is an approximation, click on it again, and it will change to yellow.

If the child omits it completely, drag the sound upward and the symbol below will appear.  You can also mark substitutions and phonological processes.  Just drag the process to the sound, and it will mark it for you!

Once the child has completed all items, this screen will appear:

After the test, there will be a section for a speech sample.  You have your choice of scenes.  Once you're in the scene, click around and various prompts will appear:

Record the student during this time for review later.

Once you have this completed, the report section will appear.   You have several options.  The first is the words tested tab.  This will show all of the words tested and how you marked the errors.  It will also include any notes that you made.  

The next section is errors marked.  This will show the total percentage correct of the errors and the sounds that were incorrect.  These errors are compared to normative data or when the sound is normally developed.

Based on those errors, a report is generated and recommendations are made.  You have the option to print or email the report.  You can also add more conclusions that you may have to the report.  

What I Love:
-I love that it's a one-stop shop.  It has both a full test and a screener.
-I love that it's portable.  Maybe the place for the child to be tested is not the most convenient for us.  This app helps us out in this situation because we don't have to carry bulky test materials everywhere.
-I love the built-in report feature.  This makes for quick progress monitoring and saves me so much time!
-I love how comprehensive the data tracking is.  You can track omissions, substitutions, approximations, phonological processes, and other notes.
-I love the recording feature.  I cannot count the number of times I've wished I could have recorded what a child said and review it later.  This solves that problem!
-I love that the student's data is kept, so you can compare different reports and monitoring progress.
-I love that real pictures are used.  Sometimes symbols can be confusing, so this is an awesome feature.
-I love that it's pretty easy to use!
-I love the speech sample portion.  We learned in grad school how important this is, so I was very happy to see it included.
-I love the variety of settings and options to turn on/off to customize it to each student's needs.
-It is evidence/ normative data-based.  In the report section, you can see the research used cited at the bottom.

For Future Updates:
-Even for screenings, I like to collect a short speech sample.  Sometimes I cannot truly hear if a child has a sound in their phonemic inventory or not until a conversation.  So that being said, I would love for there to be a speech sample section as part of the screener.
-This is a long ways off and would take lots of research, but I would love if this app would be standardized.  Districts require standardized scores for formal testing most of the time, so this wouldn't qualify for that.  (However, it would be perfect for progress monitoring, as I mentioned, so I will definitely use it for that!).
-I would love it if the app could be programmed to automatically identify the phonological process.  It is just a picky little thing, but it would definitely save the tester time!

Bottom Line:
This is an amazing app that every SLP should have in their back pocket.  I cannot wait to use it in my speech room this year to assist with progress monitoring and screening!  

This app is currently listed at $49.99 in the iTunes store.   BUT from August 12 through August 14, both this app and their best selling Articulation Station Pro will be on sale for 30% off the normal cost.  That brings the price down to $34.99!!  This is their biggest sale of the year, so plan to get these apps while they are discounted!


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

Back to the Drawing Board: Articulation {giveaway}

About a month ago, I posted a new product called Back to the Drawing Board: Articulation.  I am finally getting time to post this! Check out the details below. 

Do your students love Pictionary? Mine do! They were asking for a way to play Pictionary AND use their sounds during speech therapy sessions, so I created this game. 

Play this exactly like that game. One student draws a card and draws a picture of that word on the board. The other students try and guess what is being drawn. If a student guesses correctly, he or she receives a point. Mostly includes cards for /s/ and /r/, including /s/ and /r/ blends and vocalic /r/. Each card includes the target word, a picture of the target word, and suggestions of what to draw. 

 

Bonus of 4 pages dedicated to SH and TH (voiced and voiceless)

Also included are score cards to help the students keep track of their points. 

I hope you love it!  If you would like to purchase this, you can find it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.   Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a copy. Good luck! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway  



This document was created using Smarty Symbols™ © 2010-2014. Smarty Symbols© is a registered trademark and copyright of Smarty Ears, 2013. All rights reserved to Smarty Ears. Used with permission. ©2014 Smarty Ears. Visit www.smartysymbols.com for more information. 

November Love It and List It Linky: Articulation Apps

I'm a little late to this party, but that's ok!!   My friend Jenna over at Speech Room News hosts this great Love It and List It Linky Party every month.  Here are some of my favorite articulation apps!

These are in no particular order:

1.   My friend Erik X. Raj JUST released a new app called Listen Close Articulation.  I love it already!! {look for a review soon}.

2.  Articulation Scenes from Smarty Ears.  Love this and use it A LOT.

3. NAED Home Speech Therapist's Apraxia.  I used this with an adult client with apraxia and aphasia. She loved it!

4.  Speech Trainer from Smarty Ears.  This is great for those who would benefit from seeing how the tongue and other articulators move.

Want to see other recommended apps?? Check out the linky party here.

Dollar Store Dash {Linky Party}

Teach Speech 365 came up with a GREAT idea of going to the dollar store, spending $5, and coming up with therapy activities with them.  You can find the first post and everyone who linked up here.

These are the items I picked up:

1. Soap Dish
2. Pumpkin Face Stickers
3. Reading Comprehension
4. Who Will Haunt My House on Halloween? book

Here are my plans for these items:

1. Put items in the soap dish and have the students shake, smell, or whatever they need to do to guess what is in it.  When it's their turn, they open it and either use the word in a sentence, repeat their words, etc. Have fun with it and they will too!

2. Pumpkin Face Sticker- I am still debating what I should do with these. One option is to put them on the pumpkins and talk about facial expressions.  Another option is to actually put them on popsicle sticks!

3. Read the book, ask questions, possibly do an activity from TpT or a craft with it!

4. Use the reading comprehension book with my adult clients.  I'll read them a short paragraph and ask them follow up questions!

What are your favorite dollar store finds for therapy??

Open-Ended Articulation {app review}

Are you familiar with blogger Erik X. Raj at all?  If so, then you'll love this!   If you're not familiar with him, you will also love this (and should get familiar with him!!).  He has created some great apps and this new one is no exception! Check it out.

If you have seen his other apps, this one looks very similar!  The opening page of the app shows you the different sound options. As you can see above, this app targets /s, z, r, l/, sh, ch, and th.  Pick your target sound, and more options will pull up. Pick the position, blends, or mix, as seen in the /s/ example below!

Once you select your specific target, you are taken through a series of open ended questions. The target word is in bold, and the target sound is underlined.  You can read the question to the student or you can click "Hear the Sentence" to hear Erik read it out loud!  If the student would benefit from an example answer, you can click "Hear an Answer."  They are SO entertaining! I love listening to Erik's answers!

In case you want more info, Erik has put together a lovely info page (accessible from the homepage).  Just scroll through it!

A new addition to this app is his "Get To Know You" page. Click on his picture, the pizza, or the mug to hear a little about him! This is also entertaining!

What I like about this app:
-It's easy to use!
-Erik is very entertaining in his examples! Kids will love it.
-It's bright color-wise but not overwhelming.
-It is a fun way to target articulation, though you can absolutely target more than just articulation with it!! Social skills, language, etc. There are a lot of possibilities!
-It may spark some interesting conversations!

Bottom Line:
Erik has created a great app that students will have fun with.  They might not even notice they're working ;)  It's a great way to mix up therapy and get away from straight drill for awhile.

Do you want this app?? You can find it on iTunes for $4.99 (at the time of this post).

Have fun with it!!

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