This page is designed to help parents learn about a variety of apps that can help with speaking skills, grammar, vocabulary and study skills/organization. I will do my best to give a quick description of the app as well as the cost. Like any app, it is important that as parents you look at them and do your own review as much as possible since you know your child best.
Articulation/Speaking Apps: ( remember that articulation needs an adult presence so that feedback can be given to the accuracy of the sound production. ** Please see tips for teaching speech sounds on other pages. These are just a few apps available, but I wanted to keep them to those that are inexpensive and designed for practice, as well as easy to use.
iTalk Recorder (free) - This app is great for a variety of purposes. If your child is working on speech sounds, they can record themselves and listen back to their production of their target sound and learn to evaluate themselves.
Dragon Dictation (free) - If your child is not speaking clearly, sounding a little "mumbly" or just doesn't seem to enunciate, this app is a great way of having them practice speaking slower and more clearly. It will write what it believes was said. If the message is not clear, then there can be many interesting interpretations.
Articulation Station (free to start) - This app is a great tool for all elementary school children who are working on particular sounds. Download the free app and then choose the sound your child needs to practice for $3.99. It allows your child to record and listen to their recording or for you to listen later to help them evaluate. It provides a lot of sound practice at the word, sentence and story level. Play with the free /p/ sound app before purchasing others to see if you like it first.
Webber Photo Artic Castle (Free at first) - This app allows for a variety of stimulus items to be played in a variety of game formats such as racing, balloon pop, matching, etc. Again, you can download the free version and then purchase individual sounds (ranging in price from $.99 to $5.99). As before, play with the free version first. With this app you will need to be with your child to give some feedback on production.
ArtikPix (free to start) - This app is very basic and good for younger kids (k- 2nd grade). The nice part is, is that the free version comes with the /th/ sound, so if that is your child's target sound, you are in luck. Other sounds for purchase mostly at $1.99 each.
Phonics Studio (free) - Great for younger children again. The nice part is, it gives you a recording of the word and lets your child record as well and then listen back. It looks like all sounds are free as well. It is only helpful at the word level however.
Sparkle Fish (free) - This is not designed as an articulation app but can be used as one. It is great for helping with grammar as well. It is a version of Mad Libs that allows the student to record their choice of words (for an artic app have your child say a word that has their sound in it) and then play it back in a funny story. I use this app with my students all the time and they love it. Probably best for 2nd graders and up.
Apps for Grammar Practice - These apps mostly help with parts of speech, sentence structure and sentence types. Some include tutorials on the subjects and all include practice either through games or quizzes. Most of the apps listed here are for children of 2nd through fifth grade and are $2.99 or less.
Grammar Jammars - This is a fun app that teaches about different parts of speech in song and then has a short quiz. Great for all elementary school kids who don't know their nouns, verbs etc.
Grammar Wonderland Elementary Lite - To get full value of this game an additional purchase needs to be made but it is a fun app that allows you practice with parts of speech through flying games.
Grammaropolis - Very fun app that includes a book about the parts of speech, videos, quizzes and games. A great way to introduce and get some good basic practice. The first version is free but you will have to pay $1.99 to open up different parts of speech
Grammar Games by Tap to Learn - Teaches about a part of speech and then gives opportunity to play a game allowing you to identify it.
Irregular Verbs or Irregular Plurals Free - This allows for direct practice of words that just need to be learned directly by many kids.
Sentence Builder - This is for younger children up to first grade but gives a good introduction to basic sentences.
Wacky Sentences - A fun way to teach about all parts of the sentence beyond nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Best for fifth graders and older.
Mad Libs - Just like the books but in an app. Great for practice with parts of speech.
Sparkle Fish - Same as Mad Libs but lets child record his voice so they are part of the story. Very fun. My students never get sick of it.
Shake a Phrase - This app comes up with very silly sentences using great vocabulary. Nice app for advanced fifth graders and older.
Vocabulary and Reading Comprhension Apps are designed mostly to give practice with these skills. I have again listed apps that are free or economical and provide great practice. I have mentioned Mad Libs and Shake a Phrase in other sections, both good ways to practice using challenging vocabulary or be exposed to challenging vocabulary. Word finds, crossword puzzles or any word puzzle type games keep your child exposed to words. There are also a number of hang man apps out there as well. These next apps are mostly for children from 3rd - 5th grade.
The Opposites - This is a free app that has a brother and sister speaking words. The student is supposed to pop the bubbles that are opposites of each other.
Vocab - 4-6 --- A free app that provides flashcards for learning new words and a hangman game.
Core Curriculum Third Grade - This app is free and provides lessons in a variety of subjects in the third grade helping to expose and develop vocabulary for different subjects. Different subjects from the free app need to be paid for.
Reading Comprhension - This app is also free and a great way to teach about skills in reading comprehension and then provide practice
Reading Skills 4A Science - There are different variations of this app for different subjects and grades. Gives practice in reading comprehension through answering multiple choice questions as well as exposure to content from different subjects.
Third Grade Social Studies - There is a variety of apps in this category for all different grade levels and subjects that are free. These apps allow children to read about different subject matter and answer comprehension questions as well as keep score.
*** More apps will be added as I find them and use them. Please let me know if you have used any apps that you have found useful at home or in school and that your kids enjoy. I will add a parent recommended page when suggestions come in.