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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

{Review} Apraxia Ville by Smarty Ears Apps

Howdy ya'll!  Today, I have another great app to share with you by Smarty Ears Apps, called "Apraxia Ville"!


This app is designed to be used with students who have childhood apraxia of speech and severe speech sound disorders.  It includes video modeling of vowels and consonants, word targets divided into syllable structure (e.g. CV, VC, CVC), syllable combinations, and individualized homework assignments.

As with any new app, start by watching the video tutorial.  Then, you're ready to add players.  Touch "select player" to get started.


From here, click on "new player", enter each student's name, and choose an avatar.


Next, you'll need to choose which of three areas you'd like to start with.


The first area is called, "The Sound Windows" and includes sound practice.


The window on the left includes video modeling of consonants and the window on the right includes video modeling of vowels.  Simply click on the face to see how the sound is pronounced.


By tapping on the letters, you can change the sounds that are demonstrated in the windows.

The second area covered is, "The Farm House".  Here, you are able to adjust the syllable structure and select specific sound groups (both consonants and vowels) to work on.


Syllable structures include:
- Level 1: CV & VC
- Level 2: CVC
- Level 3: CVCV
- Level 4: CCVC
- Level 5: Bisyllabic
- Level 6: Three syllables
- Level 7: Four syllables

Sound groups include:
- /p/, /b/, /m/
- /d/, /n/, /t/
- /g/, /k/, /h/
- /w/, /j/
- /f/, /v/
- /s/, /z/
- "sh", "ch", /dz/
- /l/
- "th"
- /r/
- /ng/
- diphthongs
- short a
- long a
- short e
- long e
- short i
- long i
- short o
- long o
- short u
- long u

Target words, based on your previous selections, show up at the barn doors for students to repeat. Data can easily be collected at the top of the barn.  Simply tap on the appropriate student and touch the red, yellow, or green boxes to track incorrect, approximate, and correct responses.  Students can also record their own productions in this section of the app to provide auditory feedback!


The window cues on the side can be adjusted if needed to demonstrate correct production of the various sounds.


The third area, "The Words Farm" provides practice sets of words that can be combined together to make multiple word productions.

First, choose between two or three words.


Words will be generated based on your previous preferences.


However, you also have the option of changing the speech sounds that are targeted as well as the syllable structure.


Here, I've changed both the targeted speech sound and the syllable structure on the left side of the screen.


Data can easily be tracked on "The Words Farm" and students can again record their own productions.

Homework can also be generated in this app by selecting "Reports and Homework" on the home screen and then clicking on "homework" in the top, right hand corner.


You can easily select homework for any sound(s) that you are working on.  Homework can be emailed or opened as a PDF file.


Last, but certainly not least is data collection.  You can track each student's results in the following areas:

consonant production,


vowel production,


syllable structure,


and overall history!


What I love about this app:
- it is extremely versatile - from practicing individual phonemes to combining multiple syllables, this app has it all!
- it provides individualized homework.
- it shows video modeling of all consonant and vowel sounds.
- "The Farm House" and "The Words Farm" includes an option to record and play back a student's own productions.
- it has extensively detailed data collection so that you can appropriately determine your students' specific needs.

What I'd like to see in an update:
- the video models in "The Sound Windows" could be a bit more precise, specifically, the /f/ sound.

You can check out this amazingly comprehensive apraxia app for $29.99 at the Smarty Ears Apps website or in iTunes!


Disclaimer: This app was given to me for review.  No other compensation was provided.

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