Produced by:

Tech n Talk SLPs

Teresa Besson and Anita Hill

Speech Language Pathologists
(Graphics from: www.mycutegraphics.com)

The previous edition of A Guide to Apps for Parents, Teachers, and SLPs focused on development of basic language concepts. This edition delves further into
language development skills that will be essential to the early learner in his/her acquisition of literacy and school success.
Children begin at a very young age to recognize patterns and categorization. These skills provide the foundation for learning reading. Young children begin to
process information by recognizing what is new, what is different, and what has changed. New information is matched to a category that already exists in their
mind. It is necessary for a child to find order, to compare and contrast, and then to pay attention to what remains the same. This is a critical factor in early
learning. These prerequisite tasks will help a child look for patterns in letters and words and use this information to read groups of words (such as word families).
The young reader will also categorize words by sounds (rhyming, long and short vowels, etc.), or by meaning (words with same meaning, opposites, etc.).
Sequencing is also a very important skill in pre-reading, comprehension, and writing. It is part of our everyday life; therefore, it is essential that we understand
and can use these skills efficiently. Sequencing is the process of placing events, ideas, and objects in a logical order. Some children have difficulty grasping this
concept which could affect their ability to tell a story. It is vitally important to teach children how to sequence and to use key words such as: first, next,
then, and finally to practice this important skill.
Patterns, categorization, classifications, and sequencing are a part of our everyday life and everyday learning. The apps highlighted in this edition will assist in
developing or enhancing the ability to use these important language tasks in a fun, informative format. Have fun with your child or your students as you watch
learning take place that will strengthen their future language and literacy skills.

The suggested apps and web-sites can be used to address Common Core State Standards including the following skills:
KINDERGARTEN

SECOND GRADE

FIRST GRADE

Say what happened to tell a story

Sort words into categories

Tell a story aloud

Retell a story

Tell why words belong in categories

Retell a story

Use illustrations to help tell a story

Retell a story

Make complete sentences

Understand how words in a story can tell

about feelings and senses

Tell how characters in a story respond to

parts of the story
Find and understand the beginning,
middle, and end of a story

Note: The price for any app in the apple iTunes store is subject to change at any time. All app prices included in this newsletter
were accurate at the time of publication. All iTunes store links provided are for iPad versions of apps. If you need the iPhone
version enter the app name in the iTunes store search engine.
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Price

App Name / Description

FREE

Lets Name Things Fun Deck: Teaches categorization / classification. 52 picture cards with audio and text. Select all,
or only the cards you want to teach. Prompts child to name things within categories, i.e., things that live in the
ocean. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lets-name-things-fun-deck/id454450994?mt=8

FREE

FREE

(Also available for android

)
My Little Suitcase: Teaches categorization /classification. A game for up to four players. 100 fun items to categorize
into the correct suitcase. Record your own voice within the game.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-little-suitcase-memory/id527319993?mt=8

Things that go Together: 150 matching picture pairs that go together. Let your child match the things that go
together and explain why the items go together. Customize by choosing items or number of items presented at one
time. Add your own pictures and record your own voice.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/things-that-go-together/id490647359?mt=8

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Price

App Name / Description

1.99

Name That Category Fun Deck: 56 picture cards with audio and text. Prompts include fill-in-the-blank statements
like, A car, bike, and train are _____. Score correct and incorrect responses. Customize to teach only the cards you
want to teach.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/name-that-category-fun-deck/id453817829?mt=8 (Also available for android

.99

SimpleSort: Sort objects into the correct bucket based on categories (food, clothes, toys, vehicles, electronics, tools,
kitchen, furniture). Customize to teach 2 to 6 categories at a time.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simplesort/id451105389?mt=8 (Also available for android

FREE

FREE

FREE

FREE

FREE

Sort it Out 1: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) Full version includes 12 games. Each
game has 24 objects to sort into three categories based on one or more common features. (vehicles, toys
colors/shapes, fruit/vegetables, food/drinks, clothing, kitchen, facial expressions/emotions, and more)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sort-it-out-1/id501939025?mt=8
Sort it Out 2: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) Full version includes 12 games. Each
game has 24 objects to sort into three categories based on one or more common features. (animal homes, musical
instruments, art, furniture, party items, tools, household items, and more)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sort-it-out-2/id501952788?mt=8
Families 1: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve boards each
display a family of 3 images at the center surrounded by seven images. Find the image that is the best match for the
three center images. Tell why the item is a match.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/families-1/id428839475?mt=8
Families 2: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve boards each
display a family of 3 images at the center surrounded by seven images. Find the image that is the best conceptual
match for the three center images. Tell why the item is a match.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/families-2/id428839618?mt=8
Match It Up 1: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve boards each
display a single image at the center surrounded by seven images. Find the image that is the identical match for the
center image. Tell why the item is a match.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/match-it-up-1/id421840435?mt=8

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Price

FREE

FREE

App Name / Description

Match It Up 2: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve boards each
display a single image at the center surrounded by seven images. Find the image that is visually related to the center
image. Tell why the item is a match.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/match-it-up-2/id421841614?mt=8
Match It Up 3: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve boards each
display a single image at the center surrounded by seven images. Find the image that is the conceptually related
match for the center image. Tell why the item is a match.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/match-it-up-3/id421842311?mt=8

.99

Drag and Match: Twelve matching games. Match objects by color, shape, numbers, letters, visual discrimination,
and more.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drag-and-match/id448783818?mt=8

FREE

Whats Diff 1: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve games in
which your child finds the odd one out. Find the image with the boldest visual difference (color, place, family, more)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whats-diff-1/id500644706?mt=8

FREE

Whats Diff 2: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve games in
which your child finds the odd one out. Find the image with a complicated visual or conceptual difference.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whats-diff-2/id500644920?mt=8

FREE

Whats Diff 3: 2 boards free (in-app purchase of 10 additional boards $1.99) In the full version, twelve games in
which your child finds the odd one out. Find the image with conceptual and fine visual differences.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whats-diff-3/id500645929?mt=8

2.99

Categories from I Can Do Apps:

Learn to categorize and identify connections between concepts with five levels of difficulty.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/categories-from-i-can-do-apps/id561715173?mt=8

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Price

App Name / Description

2.99

Associations from I Can Do Apps: Learn to make associations and develop reasoning and problem solving skills with
five levels of difficulty.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/associations-from-i-can-do/id561693832?mt=8

FREE

4.99

.99

iSequences Lite: (full version of the app $2.99) Lite version includes 10 sequences, full version includes 100
sequences. Place pictures in the correct order to tell a logical sequence of events. Includes a what happens next
activity and an identify the emotion activity.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/isequences-lite/id537549983?mt=8
Making Sequences: Teaches story sequencing and/or steps for completing a task. Includes 15 sequences. Upload
your own images to create your own sequences. Add text, add your own voice, share your stories with other Making
Sequences users through DropBox.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/making-sequences/id460119961?mt=8
Sequencing: Includes 10 sequences made up of three steps each. Place the pictures in order to tell a logical
sequence of events.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sequencing!/id432520779?mt=8

Picture Sequencing: Sequence pictures in the correct order to tell the story. Three games available based on age/grade
level.
http://www.turtlediary.com/search-results.html?q=sequencing

Words That Go Together: Match pictures of objects that go together.

http://www.turtlediary.com/kindergarten-games/esl-efl-games/go-together.html

Rags to Riches Categories Ladder: Match words to the correct category.

http://www.quia.com/rr/33603.html

Categories Columns: Match words to the correct category.

http://www.quia.com/cm/14835.html

Sorting with Hampshire: Sort objects into the correct categories.

http://kids.aol.com/games/sorting-with-hampshire/

Sorting Online Game: Sort objects into the correct categories.

http://www.olliesworld.com/adventure/onlinegames/sorting-game.htm

Arthur Story Scramble: Put the pictures in the correct sequence to retell the story.
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/storyscramble/scramble.html

Numerous sequencing activities to choose from. (1st 2nd grade)

http://www.quia.com/pages/sequencingfun.html

Jobs and Occupations: Make associations between occupations and tools.

http://www.turtlediary.com/grade-1-games/esl-efl-games/jobs-and-occupations.html

A Little Something Extra A Louisiana Tradition

Each of the following apps and websites allows your child to address a variety of age appropriate subjects/skills.

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Price

App Name / Description

.99

TeachMe: Toddler: Addresses six subjects including letters, letter sounds, numbers, shapes, colors, and counting.
Choose the skill(s) and questions that you want your child to target.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teachme-toddler/id316755410?mt=8

.99

TeachMe: Kindergarten: Addresses four subjects including sight words, addition, subtraction, spelling. Choose the
skill(s) and questions that you want your child to target.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teachme-kindergarten/id336689375?mt=8

.99

TeachMe: 1st Grade: Addresses four subjects including sight words, addition, subtraction, spelling. Choose the
skill(s) and questions that you want your child to target.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teachme-1st-grade/id355940964?mt=8

.99

Teach Me: 2nd Grade: Addresses four subjects including sight words, addition, subtraction, spelling. Choose the
skill(s) and questions that you want your child to target.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teachme-2nd-grade/id355943913?mt=8

FREE

ABCville Learning Game for Kids: Teaches alphabet letters and objects that begin with each letter. Letters are
presented in random order. Provides a variety of choices of objects beginning with each sound. Your child chooses
from four pictures, the object that begins with a given letter.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abcville-learning-game-for/id376311547?mt=8

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Price

App Name / Description

FREE

Little Finder ABC: Alphabet game for one or two players. Be the fastest at finding letters by name or by sound. Can
be set to upper or lower case letters. Customizable so that you choose the letters your child is learning.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/little-finder-abc/id507342345?mt=8

1.99

FREE

JumpStart my ABC Book: Your child makes his/her own sticker book with pictures for each alphabet letter. Hear
letter names and sounds as well as names of objects beginning with each letter. Hear a song for each letter of the
alphabet.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jumpstart-my-abc-book/id439815765?mt=8
Alphabet Flash Cards Lets Leap Ahead: Learn / Play / Trace. Upper and lowercase letters associated with beginning
sounds of words. Play find the missing letter game. Trace letters with a step-by-step guide. Keeps score of correct
answers to easily track progress.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alphabet-flash-cards-lets/id547912179?mt=8

FREE

Sight Words by Photo Touch: Sight words organized by grade level. Add your own voice or add your own pictures.
Quiz Find the letter can be customized to choose a letter from sets of 2 to 5 letters at a time.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sight-words-by-photo-touch/id421341850?mt=8

1.99

Smiley Sight Words : 1600 sight words; upper and lowercase alphabet, numbers 1-100, colors, shapes, animals,
months, days of the week, family words, common nouns. Choose words your child needs to learn.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smiley-sight-words/id361006388?mt=8

1.99

Happi Reads HD A Learn to Read Game: See a word and three pictures. Read the word and select the picture that
matches the word. Four levels of increasing difficulty. Total of 100 words.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/happi-reads-hd-learn-to-read/id440761223?mt=8

http://www.abcya.com/
http://www.turtlediary.com/
http://pbskids.org/
http://www.ezschool.com/Games/PreK-G2.html
http://www.abcmouse.com/