You all know how much I appreciate Smarty Ears apps since they make my therapy life so much easier. I no longer have to haul heavy bags of therapy materials all over the school! Anyway, I’m so super thankful for this app…Language Empires! You can target so many different skills all in one super cool app. Smarty Ears provided me with the app in order to complete my review, but no other compensation was provided. Read my review of the app below:
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| When you open the app, you have several options. As with all Smarty Ears apps, you can always view a Tutorial or contact Smarty Ears for support. |
Getting Started:
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| When you enter Language Empires, you can choose to play the full game or choose the quick start option. When you enter the city, you drag the player(s) to the area you want to target. You can choose between How Questions, Figurative Language, Vocabulary, Inferencing, Predicting, Which Questions, Sequencing, & Why Questions. |
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| Here, the student chooses which explanation best matches the idiom given. |
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| If the student chooses the wrong answer, that answer choice disappears. You can change this option under the Settings tab if you wish. |
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| When the student answers correctly, they get a “Well Done” message! |
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| This is an example of a question under the Predicting category. |
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| You can choose between three different difficulty levels in the Sequencing category. This is an example of a question from level one. |
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| There are two different levels of difficulty under the Which category. |
Tracking Student Data:
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| You can track student data and progress under the Report tab. A breakdown of which category was practiced on each date is printed off to the side. The data can be opened in TRC, printed, or sent via email! This is an example of data from a “Quick Play” game, so the student name is not listed. Quick Play games are also great for screenings! |
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| In the Settings tab, you can choose whether to display written questions, whether to remove an item or buzz an incorrect answer, and whether to turn the audio on or off. |
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| The directions before each category are very cute and kid-friendly! |
Reinforcement & Reports
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| At the end of each game, the students can earn trophies and treasures, which can also be seen under the Report tab. |
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| When you click on the Report tab, you can choose to see Trophies that have been earned or a detailed report with data and progress. |
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| In the Trophy Room, the trophies and treasures the students can earn are shown! |
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| Here is an example of a report generated under a student name. |
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| If you choose to play a full game, you can add students and the students actual photos, or choose avatar photos for each student. Up to 5 students can play at a time! |
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| If you answer a sequencing question incorrectly, you get a “try again” prompt. |
Pros & Cons:
Pros: I love that many of the most common goals my students need to work on are included in this app. The quick start option is great for screenings. The reports to track student progress are an easy and detailed way to keep data!
Cons: Although the questions are read aloud to students, the answer choices aren’t read aloud. For many of my students, this means I need to read them, which keeps me from being able to use the app in a Speech Center because I have to be right there.
Overall though, I love this app and would recommend it to other school-based SLPs, teachers, and parents wanting extra practice for their kiddos at home!
Smarty Ears is available in iTunes for $24.99! You can find it here:
