Tag Archives: App review

Zwuggels – Beach Holidays and Treasure Hunt app – fun and affordable for targeting multiple goals (iOS and Android)

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The Zwuggels – Beach Holidays and Treasure Hunt app by Ploosh GmbH is so much fun! Priced affordably (you’d spend that much on an item from Target’s Bullseye’s Playground) and full of lots of opportunities for targeting multiple goals (following directions, spatial concepts, problem solving, emotions, predicting, action words, describing, storytelling, Core Vocabulary, etc….)

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-zwuggels-beach-holidays-and-treasure-hunt/id1143084088, iOS Universal, iOS 8.0 or later, $2.99

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zwuggels.beach&referrer=utm_source%3Dzwuggels_website, $2.99

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0FDTJU, $2.99

Gameplay video: https://youtu.be/OINa58R2cPc

Website: http://www.zwuggels.com/en/

Core Vocabulary in each section:

  1. Elfina rock climbing: up, help, eat, drink (moving through rock climbing maze)
  2. Feed Ubo: get up, eat, sleep
  3. Olfred’s book, hats & car, plane, train: Like, put on, go
  4. Zilda’s chemistry lab: Put in, turn on
  5. Professor Zigmund’s mixed up plugs: There, here, put in, turn on
  6. Captain Zach: put on
    7-8. Pirate Cat Leonardo’s ship / Elfina’s dream: go, up (wake up), make, give
  7. Olfred & Elina packing: yes, no, in
  8. Load the luggage: put, there, help, turn, up, down, in, no
  9. Captain Zach waking up: get up, move, put on
  10. Captain Zach making sandwiches: make, put on, more, in, like (following directions for what each crew members likes on their sandwich)
  11. Brew breakfast tea: help, put on, there, wait, in, more, give (tea cup matches color of their outfit)
  12. Boarding the ship & find sunglasses: come, find, help, put on & Sailing breeze: wait, open, off, go
  13. Spyglass: look, sleep, up, give, look, close
  14. Storm cloud: help, move, up, down, out (through cloud maze)
  15. Hammer mooring ropes: there, help, in
  16. Swimming trunks: off, on, more (changing into swimsuit & putting on sunscreen, could also target body parts)
  17. Beach ball: help, more, big, my turn, your turn
  18. Beach umbrella & beach chairs: put, there, my, your, eat, no
  19. Sand pail: make, in, more, get, put, there, out, again, down, on
  20. Message in bottle: oh no!, wash away, sad, look, get, open, out, help
  21. Nico the Cat (fix rowboat): look, help, scared, give
  22. Scrape barnacles: off, more, here, there, in
  23. Paint boat: this, more, there, done
  24. Oars: get in, give, put on, off, go, Bye, look (passing several interactive items as they row), drink, tired
  25. Shark fin: help, scared, Hi, find
  26. Fishing pole: on, in, get, out, more, fast
  27. Dolphin: eat, his, her, turn, more, there, go
  28. Pirate hat: go, up, down, there (going through water in archipelago island maze)
  29. Leonardo the Pirate Cat: help, open, me, look, stop, no
  30. Bucket and shovel: help, look, there, here, not, again, open, find, look
  31. Sea Turtle: sad, look, find, sleep, up, there (to tell where to tickle Donatella the turtle)
  32. Goggles & snorkel: down, put on (flippers, goggles, snorkel), wait, in, open, look, there, find, not
  33. Keys: this, yes, no/not, again, more, open, out
  34. Campfire: worried, here, put in, more, there,

Each section has a check mark when you are “finished”/”done”. Initially the areas are locked but then you can go back and play one “again” or proceed forward in the story to explore “more”

Core Vocabulary list (alphabetical):

  1. again
  2. away
  3. big
  4. Bye
  5. down
  6. drink
  7. close
  8. come
  9. done/finished
  10. down
  11. drink
  12. eat
  13. fast
  14. find
  15. get
  16. give
  17. go
  18. help
  19. her
  20. here
  21. Hi
  22. his
  23. in
  24. like
  25. look
  26. make
  27. more
  28. move
  29. my
  30. no
  31. not
  32. off
  33. on
  34. open
  35. out
  36. put
  37. up
  38. sleep
  39. stop
  40. there
  41. this
  42. turn
  43. wait
  44. yes
  45. your

Emotions:

  • happy
  • sad
  • tired
  • excited
  • worried
  • scared

I purchased this app myself and love it so much I left a review on the App Store, am posting this here on my blog and will be sharing on social media. Part of a conscious effort to help support kids app developers 😊

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Si6k7Y
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amoorad1/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

App Review: Thinkrolls Space by Avokiddo

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App Review: Thinkrolls Space by Avokiddo

Avokiddo has just released Thinkrolls Space, a new app in their “Thinkrolls” collection, and it’s awesome! Highly recommended 😊
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I previously used Thinkrolls apps extensively in my work as a SLP to work on problem solving, sequencing, logic, etc… and like to play the games myself as well. This newest one has a fun space theme, extra characters that can be unlocked by collecting stars and hearts along the journey (adding another opportunity to strategize the best route to collect the most), has an “easy” level with 110 puzzle paths on 7 planets and a “hard” level with 108 puzzle paths on 7 planets, high quality graphics and sound effects and is a blast to play.
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Navigate through seven unique-themed planets, each focusing on a different set of skills and puzzle elements. Throughout, you’re encouraged to experiment. You’ll learn through trial and error to combine elements, as well as how to build on successive lessons to strengthen creative thinking, logic, problem solving, spatial cognition, and memory. Look for the key and exit gate. Try to visualize your route. Use and combine objects to clear a path, get the key, and move to the exit. Trapped? No problem. Just tap the reset button at the top right of the screen and try again. The app offers unlimited, penalty-free retries, and no time limits. This along with the option to toggle off the background music contribute to it being special needs friendly.
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Since the puzzles are designed to be solved in order, levels are greyed out at the beginning and become available as you go along. To facilitate the app review process, the app developer provided me with a code to unlock all levels. This way I could visit any planet without having to complete all previous levels. Based on my experience working with numerous kids with special needs who became very frustrated when they couldn’t finish a game it would be nice if the app developer could add this “unlock all levels” in the settings area in a future update.
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Progress is saved automatically so you can pick up where you’ve left off. Puzzles become increasingly harder combining skills learned earlier in the game.
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The easy level is recommended for younger kids (5+). As I tested the app I found the “easy” level of Thinkrolls Space to be a bit harder than the “easy” levels in the Thinkrolls 1 & Thinkrolls 2 apps with Planet 7 in the “easy” level requiring the most thinking ahead several steps to formulate a plan. The hard level is more challenging (targeted for older kids (8+) and even adults). This new app is definitely easier than the Thinkrolls Kings and Queens app but there were several puzzles in the “hard” level that I found to be very challenging and a few that I ended up skipping after several attempts. But I may come back and solve those later 😊
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The app allows you to create up to six separate player profiles, which is useful if multiple users share the same device. The selected difficulty mode is player-specific and can be changed at any time. Progress, collected hearts and stars, as well as won characters are also player-specific.
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The elements: In Thinkrolls Space, you’ll meet goo monsters, bleeping robots, spring-like soprano aliens, and cheese monsters who love munching moon cheese. You’ll face vanishing rainbow bridges, plasma fields, teleporters, and more. Each of these can help or hinder.
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Helpful info and tips on how to play can be found in a “for parents” section that is secured behind a parental gate in the top left corner of the home screen.
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There are no third-party ads or in-app purchases in this app. But there is a link to other apps by this developer in the bottom left corner of the home screen. It would be nice if that area could be toggled off and/or add a much more difficult parental gate since it contains links to purchasing other apps. The current parental gate could be easily hacked by older children who can read. In the meantime I will secure this area with Guided Access. Of course it is always wise to have a strong password set for purchasing apps and to toggle off app purchasing in the settings area on any iPad that a child is using.

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I highly recommend this new app and hope the developer continues to release more Thinkrolls in the future.

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App Store info:
iOS 8.0 or later
Universal app that works on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/thinkrolls-space/id1458751834
$3.99 – prices will vary outside of the USA based on the exchange rate
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Developer’s website: https://avokiddo.com/thinkrolls-space/

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Retired Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist with 28 years experience …. still figuring out what I want to “do” in this next phase of life. 😎
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC

{New App Review} Sticker Picture Articulation by Erik X. Raj

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{New App Review} My patients LOVE the newest app from Erik X. Raj! I love how you can move, rotate, resize and layer the articulation stickers and then save your creation to the Camera Roll to send home for practice. The app can be used with either the forward facing or rear camera. Kids love seeing themselves in the picture. 😂

Sticker Picture Articulation by Erik X. Raj, https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sticker-picture-articulation/id1330416177?mt=8, iOS Universal (works on iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch running iOS 9.0 or later), $4.99

More about the app: http://erikxraj.com/blog/create-hilarious-speech-therapy-pictures-with-sticker-picture-articulation/
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga (note: Facebook frequently changes the link to messaging so if this one doesn’t work head over to my page and click on the “Send Message” button)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with 28 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

{App Review} Social Detective Intermediate

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{App Review} The new Social Detective Intermediate app is the next step after using the Social Detective Beginner app and a companion to the You are a Social Detective book By Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke. This Social Detective Intermediate app picks up where the Beginner leaves off and focuses on decoding the thoughts and emotions of people students interact with. Using this information, students will make smart guesses to predict what those people might do or say next. Below are definitions for vocabulary used in this App:

Smart Guesses: This is when we use all of our tools (remembering, seeing, hearing, knowing and feeling) to figure things out and then make a guess based on what we know about the world. Smart guesses are “expected” and make others have good thoughts about us because they know we are trying to figure things out!

Social Detective Tools: We all have social detective tools that we can use all of the time to help us figure out people and places. These super important tools are: Eyes, Ears and Brains and of course, understanding feelings of others. (Often feelings are represented with a picture of a heart)

Social Thinker: Each of us is a “social thinker” every day, each time we are around other people. It means we are always aware that people are around us and having thoughts about each of our behaviors. We are social thinkers, even when people are not talking to or playing with us. All of us should be social thinkers each day.

Within The Social Detective Intermediate app:

* The Notebook Exercises-Allow students to practice being a social decoder, by making a smart guess on the thoughts, emotions, and guesses the characters in the social scenes are experiencing.
* The Flashlight Exercises-Allow students to practice being a social detective, and identify what is seen, or heard, to help character in the social scene make a smart guess, figure out what others are thinking and finally, predict what they will do next.

Video:

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App Store: Social Detective Intermediate by Social Skill Builder, Inc., https://appsto.re/us/UWVvab.i, $24.99, iPad only.

If you are wanting to purchase both Social Detective apps, take a look at this app bundle where you can save $10.00: Social Detective Bundle (Beginner and Intermediate) by Social Skill Builder, Inc., https://appsto.re/us/N013ib.i, $39.99, iPad only.
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More about “social thinking”:

https://www.socialthinking.com
https://www.facebook.com/socialthinking
http://www.socialskillbuilder.com
https://www.facebook.com/SocialSkillBuilders
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What I liked:
* this app is a nice “next step” after kids have learned about expected vs. unexpected behaviors in the first app
* the use of video modeling of kids in real life situations
* the ability to set up multiple users with different avatars
* dragging answers to the thought bubbles and heart was a nice way to depict thinking about what is in the scene
* periodic encouragement screen to show where you are towards finishing the app
* the difficulty increases as you work through the app
* the ability to resume a test that was started but not completed in a previous session

Wishes for a future app update:
* have a more pleasant sound for correct answers. The current one is abrupt, loud and bothered several of my patients. It would also be nice to have a choice of feedback for incorrect responses.
* update the videos in both apps in this series to reflect current technology & diversity and to have clearer images and clearer audio.
* offer a way to go directly to a specific video. A menu of videos with a short description would help therapists who have limited time in sessions and need to target skills most needed for that particular patient.
* offer a way to replay missed items in a later session.
* add a “pause” button so items can be discussed rather than automatically advancing.
* offer the option to select how many potential answers are presented. I have several patients that would have done better starting out with a field of 2 choices and then advancing gradually to 3 and then 4 choices.
* fine tune the drag and drop feature in the app. It occasionally took a couple of attempts to get answers to “stick” when placed. This became a little frustrating for a couple of my patients.
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FYI…. this is an app that should be used with a therapist or teacher. If for some reason a patient or student is using the app independently then I suggest using Guided Access to lock the unsecured links to the App Store and websites in the top right corner of the home page seen after picking your avatar. These links are helpful for adults but not appropriate for kids to navigate to on their own.


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Overall both of the apps in the Social Detective series are helpful and recommended for therapists or teachers working on social thinking skills with their patients or students. I’m glad to have these apps in my speechie toolbox 😃
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

{New App} Dr. Panda Train

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All aboard! The new Dr. Panda Train app has arrived and is fun: https://appsto.re/us/ZH4jib.i.

I have several patients who have a high interest in trains so this app is sure to get lots of use in OMazing Kids speech therapy. It has a simple intuitive interface and lots to explore. There are several opportunities for core vocabulary for AAC users (in/out, stop/go, fast/slow, on/off, more, etc…) as well as opportunities for other vocabulary and exploration when you stop the train and tap items in the background. Of course this app would need to be on a separate device than the one being used for AAC so the child can comment while playing.

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My only wishes for a future app update are adding a way for the train to go in reverse to go back to see an item that passed by too quickly & an option to go directly to areas to add more passengers or cargo.

The app is well priced at $1.99. My guess is that might be a special intro price but will be watching their Facebook page for details.

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Also available for Android devices:

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2sXCKt3
Amazon Appstore: http://amzn.to/2rETYaM

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

{App Review & Giveaway} Lively Letters app

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{App Review & Giveaway} I’m loving the multisensory approach and customization options in the new Lively Letters app! It was exciting to hear that the company decided to keep the app priced at $19.99 so that it will be affordable for teachers, therapists & parents. I have one app code to giveaway so keep reading…. giveaway details are at the end of this post 😃.

There are three activities included in the Lively Letters App:

* The Flashing Activity introduces and teaches letter sounds and speech production. Hear the letter sound, the song, and the letter sound story in English or Spanish. Also see the associated hand and mouth cue photo and practice tracing the letter.
* The Tracking Activity develops letter sounds, phonics, and phonemic awareness skills to improve reading and spelling.
* The Matching Activity is a fun way to practice letter sounds and speech production.

All three activities allow you to select the letters you want to work with, as well as the type of letter. The types of letters are Lively Letters pictures, in lowercase and uppercase, and plain letters, in lowercase or uppercase.

The app offers several options for backgrounds: 6 fun themed backgrounds, 8 solid color backgrounds & the option to import a picture from your device. The solid backgrounds are especially of interest to those of us working with kids with special needs who need a high contrast or clutter-free background. I can also envision the option to import a picture as a custom background being helpful in tapping into kids high interest areas (see pic where I imported Thomas the Train as a background).

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This is a well-designed app that I highly recommend! For those wondering about the $19.99 price, think about what you would spend on letter cards, letter songs, letter tracing apps, a memory match game, etc…. and you will quickly understand the value of the features included in this app and that it is well worth every penny. The app has high quality pictures, illustrations, music & voiceovers. It contains both simple and detailed instructions, the option to set up several users, data collection & option to e-mail results.

I only have three wishes for a future app update:
1. For the entire app to be in “landscape” mode. Currently the app set up screens are in “portrait” mode and then the app switches to “landscape” mode when the user is doing an activity.
2. It would also be nice to have an easy way to toggle between various background options without having to end an activity and start over going though the settings.
3. There needs to be a way to delete a user from the app.

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App Store: Lively Letters – Phonemic Awareness & Phonics by Telian-Cas Learning Concepts Inc, https://appsto.re/us/1xmMib.i, iPad-only, requires iOS 9.0 or later, $19.99 (pricing outside of the USA will vary depending on the exchange rate).

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App overview video:

More about the app: http://readingwithtlc.com/livelylettersapp.html

Social media:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/readingwithtlc

Facebook users group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/203873323445553/

Twitter:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/readingwithtlc/
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App Giveaway: I have one iOS app code to giveaway. It’s an iPad-only app.

Enter by 1-2-3:

1) “liking” the original post directly on the OMazing Kids Facebook page:

2) “commenting” on that post about why you would like to win this app. Please be specific. I will be choosing winners based on these details to ensure this therapeutic app gets put to the best use.

3) sending a private message to the OMazing Kids Facebook page mentioning “Lively Letters”

All 3 steps are required to enter.

Entry Deadline: Friday, 6/23/17 at 5:00pm CST. Depending on the number of entries received, it may take a day or so to verify them and to announce the winner and distribute the code.

Tips:

* First tap this picture to go to the post directly on OMazing Kids and then like/comment there. I often share posts in groups to spread the word about giveaways but comments posted in a group or likes on those posts do not show up on the original pic and do not count for the giveaway.

** Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga

*** Note: If you encounter any difficulty in sending a private FB message or posting comments, please try another means of getting on Facebook (FB app, getting on FB via Safari on an iPad or getting on Facebook via a computer.)
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids:  http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

{App Reviews} Polished Play apps

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{App Reviews} Polished Play apps

Always excited to add apps to my therapy toolbox. Here are some great ones from Polished Play:

Looking for a creative way to work on story telling language skills? Then check out the Puppet Pals apps. I like Puppet Pals 2 a bit better than the original app since it has a scrollable background, characters with moveable arms & legs, they can get in vehicles or on a horse, their mouth moves when you tap, hold and talk, etc.

Or get both in this bundle for $7.99: Puppet Pals Pack, https://appsto.re/us/RFxI9.i

Brand NEW app: Commander Amazing by Polished Play, https://appsto.re/us/OuRw-.i, $2.99. I love the combination of kids getting to be the characters, that the hero can be male or female, getting to take up to 10 emotion face pictures, funny story & game. Excited to hear that this developer will be releasing a new app in the PuppetPals StoryBooks series at the end of each month and that user pictures will be available across the series of apps. What a fun new concept! http://www.polishedplay.com/storybooks

They even have the character heads synched with their new Yarn Spin app (https://appsto.re/us/GkPeeb.i). to send funny animated stickers starring you.

See more info about all of their apps at: http://www.polishedplay.com
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

{App Review} Care for Our World – an amazing app for Earth Day (or any day)

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Be still my heart! Care for Our World, one of my favorite books and play sets, is now also available as an interactive app for the iPad.  It’s perfect for Earth Day and any other day.

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Here’s what I absolutely LOVE about this app:

 

  • Intuitive interface, options to toggle on/off several options separately (autoplay, narration, music, sounds and “learn words”), all interactive elements make sense and add to the story, the nature sound effects are amazing and relaxing, the voiceovers are very well done, text is highlighted as it is read, pages have forward and back arrows in the bottom corners making it very clear how pages are turned and the ability to jump to a particular page.
  • The beautiful rhyming words flow easily as you read or listen to it being read to you & inspire kids to think about all the gifts of nature and living creatures from forest, jungle, or sea that live in our world and a plea to take care of them.
  • The illustrations by Alexandra Ball are breathtaking! Really more works of art than just illustrations. This app brings them alive in an amazing way.
  • I love the gentleness of both the words & illustrations. Both evoke feelings of calmness & kindness. I love that the message of caring for the earth is done in a kid-friendly way.
  • Includes a coloring book activity section with “fill” and “draw” options, three brush size options in “draw” mode”, the ability to zoom in on a particular area of the picture to easily color small details, and the option to save to an art gallery and view it later.
  • Includes a virtual playset with 4 backgrounds, interactive characters and animals that can be added/removed, resized, flipped, layered and moved (wonderful to use to work on vocabulary, following directions, spatial concepts, adjectives, etc….) and the option to save to an art gallery and view it later. I hope they add an ocean background in a future update. It would also be nice to have the option to have the background nature sounds on while in this part of the app (the music could still play but the nature background sounds did not)
  • I liked that pictures from the coloring book and playset are all saved within the app rather than filling up your iPad’s Camera Roll.
  • Includes an Animal Encyclopedia area with kid-friendly facts, animal sound effects and real photos. My only wishes in this area for a future update would be voiceovers so kids could tap and have the facts read to them.
  • The story and illustrations have lots of opportunities for kids yoga: mountain, ocean breath, fish (sign), crab, shark, frog, snake, flower, buzzing bee breath, sloth, apple picking stretch, forward fold picking veggies, raccoon (gyan mudra mask), sheep, bear, tree, bird, squirrel, owl, spider (partners pose), butterfly, ladybug (child’s pose + wings), cricket (palming w/ chirp), cat, upward facing dog, bunny breath, turtle, camel, elephant, giraffe, lion, monkey (chest thymus taps), gyan mudra looking binoculars, koala self hug, kangaroo, penguin egg (child’s pose), discuss ways to be kind to: myself, other people, animals & our planet Earth, coloring relaxation (using the calming nature sound effects from the app and free printable coloring pages below).

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This app is an amazing bargain at only $2.99 and is highly recommended!

App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/care-for-our-world/id1097364668?mt=8, iPad-only

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App Developer: https://www.facebook.com/SunbreakGames/

Publisher:  https://www.facebook.com/liveinspiredeveryday/

Author:  https://www.facebook.com/karen.robbins.589?fref=ufi&rc=p

Illustrator: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandraBallIllustration

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Here is a free printable 6-page PDF coloring booklet to go with the book, playset and app:  care for our world coloring sheets and peace pledges – OMazing Kids

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

{App Reviews} Great special needs apps from Inclusive Technology / HelpKidzLearn

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{App Reviews} Great special needs apps from Inclusive Technology / HelpKidzLearn

Looking for very well designed apps for kids with special needs? One of my “go to” recommendations are all of the apps from Inclusive Technology. Their apps always have an intuitive interface, excellent graphics (many on a high contrast solid black background), high quality voiceovers and sound effects, fun themes, immediate activation for teaching cause & effect, and many are switch capable but can also be used via touch on the iPad screen. Many are very affordable at $2.99 each. The apps priced higher than that include features that are well worth the price. See their website for in depth info about each app: http://www.helpkidzlearn.com/us/apps. They also offer Android versions for all of their apps on the Google Play store.

Here are the 6 most recent additions to my iPad app collection:

* Five Superboys by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/PvGJcb.i
* Five Big Dinosaurs by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/3AGJcb.i
* Five Little Firefighters by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/11FJcb.i
* Five Players by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/5xGJcb.i
* Five Girls in the Ring by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/UoGJcb.i
* Racing Cars by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/fTdJI.i

This one is always FREE:

* Finger Paint With Sounds by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/aIS9I.i

I also have and love:

* Big Bang Pictures by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/irX9I.i (fabulous high contrast app that is especially great for kids with visual impairments)
* Bumper Cars by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/sgmqH.i
* ChooseIt! Education by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/bcrb7.i (bundle of 3 apps)
* Counting Songs 1 by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/XGOe1.i (includes 10 song apps)
* Five Little Aliens by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/3ImqH.i
* Hidden Grid by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/TWInD.i (fabulous high contrast app that is especially great for kids with visual impairments)
* Inclusive Smarty Pants by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/71RnD.i
* Matching Cards – Snap by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/unp9Q.i
* Memory Pairs by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/Dlp9Q.i
* Shhhh! by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/RSfJI.i
* Splat The Clowns by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/7pgJI.i
* Train Tracker by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/IurMF.i
* Treasure Island by Inclusive Technology Ltd, https://appsto.re/us/fZhJI.i
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Be sure to follow their Facebook page to see when new apps and online games are released: https://www.facebook.com/HelpKidzLearn

See app previews: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp3TLuJeSj3dZsPlBVQofzw.

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

{App Review} Photo Buttons by Software Smoothie

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{App Review} Photo Buttons by Software Smoothie

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Photo Buttons is a simple, bubble-popping style cause and effect app that you can customize with personal pictures and recordings. Touch anywhere on the screen to show a button. Interact with the buttons by touching and dragging and tapping them to reveal images and sounds. Tap the buttons again to “pop” them.  I imported screenshots of CV (consonant-vowel) words from one of my other apps and used a solid black background. The app was very simple to use and it was motivating for my patients to have a different way to practice those sound combinations. 
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist 

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities 

Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga 

AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/ 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1 

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/ 

YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad 

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.