Our Top Ten Apps For Reading by Mary and Emily

Our Top 10 Apps for Readers

1. Story Patch – print awareness
2. Word Wagon – phonological awareness
3. ACT Spell- phonological awareness with special features for students with visual and auditory difficulties 
4. TumblebooksToGo – Fluency
5. Spelling Magic - print awareness/phonological awareness
6. Popplet (Popplet Lite) - story planning, vocabulary and story sequence
7. This Is My Story - sequencing/vocabulary building/story planning
8. Skitch -comprehension
9. Toontastic - digital storytelling/expressive language/organization
10. ABC Pocket Phonics - multisensory phonological awareness, fine motor development, phonemic awareness

 

1.                                                        

                                                      Story Patch

   
 Cost - $2.99

This is an attention-grabbing app for creating stories. Some of the features include a huge variety of customizable backgrounds, characters, and story themes, as well as the ability to import pictures from the Internet or iPad camera roll. For younger children or students who have difficulty creating text, there is a feature that allows them to answer questions based on a theme and then Story Patch will create the story for them.

This app is great for story sequencing, print awareness, capturing and maintaining attention, and many other functions of reading. Story Patch is also excellent for students who get bogged down in details or may get caught in the brainstorming phase of writing as the options are plentiful but not overwhelming.

The features of this app seem fairly straightforward and easy to navigate, which would make it a tool that could be realistically integrated into classroom teaching during reading and writing workshops. It is bright and engaging. A student could create their own story and then share it with the class, or the class could create a story together.

Here's a video demo:

2.    

Word Wagon

Cost - $1.99

Word Wagon focuses on phonics, spelling, and letters. There are 103 words in a variety of categories to choose from. Students choose words from a conveyor belt, create words, spell words, and match words with sounds. There are some neat features for students who need a lot of incentive to complete tasks like the sticker rewards book. The stickers are colorful and make sounds when they’re tapped. Word Wagon is described as being for kindergarten – grade one students, but it could be used with any student who needs practice with sight words or any type of phonological awareness.

This app could be used with individual students or in small groups (i.e. resource groups). Students could then take some of the words they’ve practiced and try creating a small sentence or story or illustrations to go with them. Depending on their skill set, they could do this through another app (such as Story Patch) or on paper.

Here's a video demo:

 

 

3. 

ACT Spell 

Cost - $2.99

Designed for the iPad, Accessible Curriculum Tools - (ACT) Spell is an app that gives teachers the ability to customize programs for students by targeting specific vocabulary and assisting motor, visual and neurological skills. It appears to be simple in function. The app provides audio feedback, button adjustability and a word bank.  The user selects the letter that completes a target word, phrase or sentence.

ACT Spell features:

-Select from 1 - 5 buttons on screen, specifically positioned to allow BEST access for users

-Adjust button size to promote visual discrimination and prompt fine motor control

-Create a word bank with an unlimited number of words, phrases or sequences

-Hear text to speech output of button contents and spelled words

-Select from two background colors for best visual orientation

-Challenge cognitive, visual and motor functions by selecting the appropriate letter to complete the spelling of the targeted word, phrase or sequence.

This App fits into the reading process asking students to use their Executive Functions to use their orthographic and phonological processors, while using their memories to connect what they see and hear. Students have to use their prior knowledge and language skills to recall and retrieve information.

The versatility of the customization feature and the Special Features options allows many students with or without difficulties can benefit from this App. With the ability to customize programs to target specific vocabulary, a teacher has the chance, if she had the time, to create individual programs for all students. Thanks to the special features with this App, it can be used by students with auditory and visual difficulties. A student with visual difficulties could use this program because of the unique ability to adjust the button size and to change the screen colors for visual discrimination. The text to speech ability is beneficial for both students with auditory and visual difficulties. Fine motor difficulties can also be addressed because students have to use their finer or stylus to spell a word or sentence. I chose the App because it came so highly recommended.

 

4.

 Tumblebooks To Go

Cost - $2.99 - $5.99 per selection

Tumblebooks are interactive books that read aloud to students and highlight text. Most of my experience with Tumblebooks is through their website (accessible though the Halifax regional libraries website), and students are always extremely engaged with these books. The original illustrations in the text are animated and moving, and the narration of the stories is sometimes performed by the original author (i.e. Robert Munsch). For students who want to read on their own, they can turn the sound off and follow along with the highlighted text or go to the “Read by Myself” option in the app.

This app is still developing, so the selection is somewhat limited as far as available texts right now. Some of the stories have games and activities to assist with comprehension after reading the text.

Tumblebooks To Go is an excellent tool to engage students with attention difficulties or students with a visual processing disorder. It provides visual and auditory cues that make the reading process more exciting. Tumblebooks To Go could be used by a student on their own, in small groups, or as a whole class. I’ve also used it before as an incentive tool for students to complete their assigned work.

5. 

Spelling Magic

Cost - Free! 

Available for the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone, Spelling Magic is a fun and educational game which teaches children how to spell words. The great thing about this App is that you can personalize it by adding your own list of spelling words to the game. There are 4 different games included to help reinforce how words are spelled. Depending on what version you choose to download, there are different possibilities of words and tasks to choose from. You can use 2 and three letter words, consonant blends and then the next step is to choose a category of words to choose from. There is a variety to choose from, including animals, outdoors, actions, people, etc. In the blend version, you can also choose double and triple blends. . If you don’t know how to begin the word, you can tap the blank tile and it will prompt you with the sound. You have to drag the letter down to the blank tile. Depending on the level of difficulty you establish, you can choose to have letter hints, how the letters in the words are sequenced and if the letter sounds are available as hints to the user. After some Googling, I found that the "Spelling Magic" iPhone app was created by a mom who wanted to make learning the spelling words more enjoyable for her child.  

This App fits into the reading process asking students to use their Executive Function to use their orthographic and phonological processors, while using their memories to connect what they see and hear. Students have to use their prior knowledge and language skills to recall and retrieve information.  Attending to the task is always important because you have to listen to what the task is asking and process it in an effort to choose the correct letter. Students need to be able to recall and retrieve from their memory what word that fits with not only the image, but also the number of letters on the screen. This app would again be of use to students who are working on vocabulary building, letter recognition and sounds, or need reinforcement of these skills in another way besides paper and flashcards. Having the ability to adjust the “hint” settings allows teachers to scaffold and differentiate for students. It also allows for the students to progress within the same “game” without having to learn the skills to work with a new App.  When I saw this App, I thought of Emma, our 7 year old. She loves to write, and could use this to build her word bank. I find she can read her work to me, but as a teacher-Mom I think the letters she leaves out of words are obvious sounds and if she took her time her writing would be even better. Knowing the number of letters in a word because they are indicated by tiles would help her.

 

6. 
      Popplet - Cost $4.99                                               Popplet Lite - Free!

Popplet is a simple but effective tool for mind mapping and organization of thoughts. It gives students the opportunity to represent their thoughts in a clear and visual way. Students can import pictures they’ve taken or search for pictures on the Internet to support and add visual interest to their points. They can also collaborate with others (iPad to iPad or iPad to web), which could be done in class or at home if the technology is available. Students and teachers can provide feedback on each other’s work and receive instant feedback.

Popplet could be used after reading to create a story sequence, or before reading to describe what a student already knows about a topic or story. They could then build on their popplet during and after reading the story, and add in any questions they may have had along the way. They can search for pictures related to what they’ve read and include some research on the topics they’ve explored.

Some other uses listed in the app description in iTunes are:

-         Explore ideas: brainstorming, mind-mapping

-         Plan projects: Diagrams, Process Charts

-         Record thoughts: Journals, Lists, Notes

-         Collect Inspiration: Mood Boards, Scrapbook, Travel Plans

-         Create Galleries: Photo albums, Portfolios, Presentations

-         Study: School Projects, Class Notes

There is a free version of this app (Popplet Lite) but it only allows for one popplet, which would be quite limiting if you wanted to use the app with more than one student or project.

Popplets can be exported in PDF and JPEG form.

7. 

 

Toontastic

Cost - Free!

Available for the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone, ABC Pocket Phonics teaches over 60 letter sound combinations (not just the individual letter sounds in the alphabet, but sounds that come from a combination of letters like “sh”). It has multisensory phonological awareness activities. The user can use their finger or stylus to trace letters. As you trace you can hear the letter sound(s). 

 

This App fits into the reading process asking students to use their Executive Function to use their orthographic and phonological processors, while using their memories to connect what they see and hear. They are asked to use attend to the task and use their prior knowledge and language skills to recall and retrieve information by remembering the direction that the arrows went when the program demonstrated how to. Their letter sound association looking at their phonemic awareness and phonological processing is used in the word making part of the app. The iPad says the word and then breaks down the letter sounds asking you to choose the correct letters while there are a couple of extra letters to choose from.

Students who are having difficulty with their fine motor skills could use this App with a stylus to imitate proper pencil grip while making their letters, thus reinforcing the handwriting process (printing or cursive). Students with or without difficulties can benefit from this App. I’m thinking of students in the early stages of reading, letter formation, letter recognition, letter sounds and blends could use this App. Students who need reinforcement of these skills could also use this.  I was interested after the webinar presentation from Lacey.  I have a toddler at home and think that because we are unable to send her to a formal preschool, this App could reinforce some of the paper activities I am trying to do at home with her in an effort to better prepare her for primary next September.   

This App fits into the reading process asking students to use their Executive Function to first make some decisions about their story and proceed with the necessary steps to make the decisions in the sequential processing of their stories. Students would use their memory to retrieve images that match their ideas. Phonological processors would help students choose music to match their story. Students have to use their prior knowledge and language skills to recall and retrieve information. Attending to the task is always important because you have to listen to what the task is asking and process it in an effort to choose the best fit for the sequential progression of the story. For students with special needs, this is a highly creative app that is excellent for expressive language skills-effective for students with language delays.

I like the idea that Toontastic gives students power and choice. It also has the potential to fit in across the curriculum. They don’t have to come up with ideas out of thin air. They can choose a story about the sea, space or a castle. The animation feature is high interest to students as well, while teaching them the fundamentals of storytelling. It also provides them with the ability to draw if what they want isn’t there.  This App can be matched to any student, although I think that the interest may be more elementary that junior high school. Students that need guidance and graphic organizers in their story mapping would be supported, although not in great detail.

Some screenshots:

 8.

ABC Pocket Phonics

Cost - $2.99

Available for the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone, ABC Pocket Phonics teaches over 60 letter sound combinations (not just the individual letter sounds in the alphabet, but sounds that come from a combination of letters like “sh”). It has multisensory phonological awareness activities. The user can use their finger or stylus to trace letters. As you trace you can hear the letter sound(s). 

This App fits into the reading process asking students to use their Executive Function to use their orthographic and phonological processors, while using their memories to connect what they see and hear. They are asked to use attend to the task and use their prior knowledge and language skills to recall and retrieve information by remembering the direction that the arrows went when the program demonstrated how to. Their letter sound association looking at their phonemic awareness and phonological processing is used in the word making part of the app. The iPad says the word and then breaks down the letter sounds asking you to choose the correct letters while there are a couple of extra letters to choose from.

Students who are having difficulty with their fine motor skills could use this App with a stylus to imitate proper pencil grip while making their letters, thus reinforcing the handwriting process (printing or cursive). Students with or without difficulties can benefit from this App. I’m thinking of students in the early stages of reading, letter formation, letter recognition, letter sounds and blends could use this App. Students who need reinforcement of these skills could also use this.  I was interested after the webinar presentation from Lacey.  I have a toddler at home and think that because we are unable to send her to a formal preschool, this App could reinforce some of the paper activities I am trying to do at home with her in an effort to better prepare her for primary next September.   

 

9.

 Skitch 

Cost - Free!

Skitch is a really neat app that lets you add text and illustrations to screenshots, pictures, and maps. It can be used across the curriculum, and with a variety of age groups, from lower elementary through to high school.

 

 Here’s an example of how I used Skitch to show our alternate route for avoiding construction on the drive to Wolfville:

Skitch could be used to teach the reading strategy of using illustrations to find meaning by taking a picture or screenshot of a book page and using the arrows to point to different features of the illustrations and point out their importance. A teacher could also take a picture of text and use Skitch to highlight important passages with annotated notes, or use it as a brainstorming tool. 

You can share and present Skitch illustrations on Twitter, through email, and on Apple TV. It is a simple concept with lots of cool possibilities. 

10.

This Is My Story (and I'm sticking to it)

Cost - $1.99

Available for the iPad, and iPhone, is an early literacy skills App that helps students with such skills as simple sentence structure. The App gives students the ability to make their own storybooks by tapping and dragging labeled images into the blanks of each page. Finished stories can be saved and will be read aloud by the narrator. It allows students to create a “silly sentence” based on the picture. 

This App fits into the reading process by asking students to use their Executive Function to focus, foresee, plan and organize their thought while mapping out their story use their orthographic processor to match words with the images. Students need to use both their short term and long term memories to make connections what they see in their heads and associate this with what is on the screen and vice versa.  They also need to associate words (letters and letter sounds, phonological and phonemic awareness) when connecting images on the page to the word that goes with it. Students have to use their prior knowledge and language skills to recall and retrieve information.  Attending to the task may be easier due to the higher interest and allowing for individual creativity. In the process of mapping their story and organizing their thoughts students may make predictions and ask question of themselves and characters when sequencing the evens in their story. This app would again be of use to students who are working on vocabulary building, letter recognition and sounds, or need reinforcement of these skills in another way besides paper and flashcards. This app offers students an introduction to sentence structure in a highly visual way, and its effective for students who are learning to read visually or with an alternative approach. The silly sentence feature adds an element of fun too! I decided on this App because of the high interest and silly sentence feature.