Top Apps of 2011

I have noticed a lot of sites doing top app picks for 2011. I didn't want to feel left out so I decided to create a list, well more like LISTS. There are so many great apps that I felt I needed to choose the top apps in a few different categories. All apps have been used by myself and/or students within my classroom. These are the apps that I try to incorporate into the curriculum and daily schedule as much as I can (with the limitation of 1 iPad, 1 teacher, 3 assistants, and 7 students). 


If you would like to see a complete list of the most used apps within my classroom, visit my list at the Technology in Special Education website. I have to admit, with over 850 apps in my itunes account, narrowing these down and keeping them all organized was a little difficult!

Also, check out my special ed counterpart from northern Ohio, Miss Kolis. Here is the list of her top 20 or so apps of 2011. 

Looking for app for older students, check out Golden Communications, LLC's list of apps for older students to enhance language and learning skills. This list was created by an SLP working with students grades 7-12 and is the developer of Enchanted Dictionary (an app worth looking into for vocabulary development and language).


~ Melanie

Top AAC/Speech and Language Apps

** AAC apps are suggestions, it looking for a voice output app/device, please consult SLP or AT specialist to request a AT/AAC evaluation **
SonoFlex- LITE version FREE, voice output app, customizable

Answers: YES NO - simple, easy to program AAC app

Toontasic - FREE, create 'puppet show' videos; add characters, voice, and video is created
Verbally - FREE version, w/paid upgrade available; although I do not have a student that can use this AAC app this school year (as it is word based versus picture based), I had to include it because it made quite an impact for a student at the end of last school year

Top Fine Motor Apps

Bugs and Buttons - app that incorporates fine motor, sorting, patterns, colors, visual motor...I could go on! Great for fine motor, but also works on pre-academic skills as well.

injini - a multiple activity app that is divided into levels within each activity; this is the app I use most within my classroom; it incorporates activities that develop fine motor skills, matching skills, patterning, colors, visual motor....and another app that I could continue to list the benefits; Project Injini website has tracing printables that mirror iPad activities

iLuv Drawing Animals - simple learn how to draw app; takes user through picture step-by-step; great for fine motor development, teaching how to add detail to drawings, great feature - can email completed pictures

Top Book Apps

Cinderella by Nosy Crow - all Nosy Crow apps are amazing, but Cinderella made me feel like a kids again; a timely story, great interactivity, amazing illustrations create this superior book app
Chuck and Friends: Friends for the Long Haul - book app with the characters every little boy loves, embedded activities to reinforce letters, fine motor, and story comprehension; my review of Chuck and Friends
Penelope the Purple Pirate - an adorable story of a little girl who turns into a pirate; had to add it to this list as it is the one app a student requests frequently

Top (Pre) Academic

Alien Buddies - my review of Alien Buddies, great to reinforce letters, numbers, shapes, colors

Junior BINGO - bingo app for younger students; bingo reinforcing letters, numbers, and shapes
Kandy Fish -  great app for sorting by color, fine motor

Top Reading Apps

Word Wizard - my review of Word Wizard, great to use as an alternative to handwritten spelling tests

Word BINGO - great app to use with individual students as an assessment tool or with 2 students as a turn taking activity; my review of Word BINGO

My Word Wall - my review of My Word Wall, great to introduce letters and word families 
Photo Touch Sight Words -  great app to use as assessment tool, very customizable with built in word lists as well as ability to set word lists
 

Top Math Apps 

iLEAP Touch Spot Subtraction and Addition - very similar to "touch math" concept; various levels: learn, explore, apply, practice; gives more concrete meaning to subtraction/addition

Jungle Coins - customizable app with various levels from penny to all coins, including dollar; app is also customizable by other country's coins as well; my review of Jungle Coins and Jungle Time
Jungle Time - customizable app with various time levels of to the hour down to minutes
Candy Count - not a well know app and it does contain an in-app-purchase (IAP) which I am against as a selling point, but the concepts are great; sorting, counting, number order, greater/less than all in one app
iLearn With Poko: Addition - fun app focusing on the math skills of counting, grouping sets, and addition; my review of this app

Top "for fun" Apps

All Toca Boca apps

My Underwear - the only time it is ok to decorate and play with underwear

Top "grown up" games/apps

Scrabble

Battleship

Words with Friends
Angry Birds  
Zite  - personalized magazine
Flipboard - personalize magazine

Spot the Dot ~Review~

Spot the Dot
I had hear about Spot the Dot for a couple of months at the time I started writing this post. A twitter post here or a Facebook status there...all talking about this app by children's author David A. Carter. I was familiar with David A. Carter from Alpha Bugs - a favorite ABC pop-up book of my daughter. So after I while I decided to see what all the talk was about. I started this post, summer came, and it never was finished. (Sorry Ruckus for the delay!) Anyway, I'm here to finish it now and tell you how everyone has enjoyed Spot the Dot!


Boy, was I surprised when I first tried this app! This amazing app is captivating with it's bright, bold colors and designs. The simple text and repetition of the colors and shapes makes this book perfect for young children. The intricate patterns and illustrations make it a perfect book for parents to share with their children. The simple text pages, the soothing voice, the visual stimulation of all the colors, and the interactivity made this app a truly 'sensory' experience.
 
Spot the Dot's repetitive text and directions make this app a good fit for everyone, especially the students in my class. Since we started back to school this week, the schedule has been less than perfect and I need a "time filler". Spot the Dot, I thought! The app kept them engaged and I noticed increased visual focus during the time we worked on the app as a group. I was a little worried about the  various sound effects, especially the ones that indicate a wrong response. Sometimes students can fixate on the sounds and just want to hear them. With Spot the Dot, that was not the case. The simple, bold sentence introducing each dot/color (see picture) is a great way for students to work on finger isolation and touching a given area on the iPad screen. My own children LOVE Spot the Dot as well and it was a must have on our iPad while traveling on vacation.

After each color is introduced, the user is expected to find the dot amongst the shape and color patterns. Now the activity pages are a little more difficult. They take visual attending skills and work on accuracy when touching the screen. The activity pages work well for turn taking and waiting for ones turn.


Once the book is sequentially read though, the app allows the user to pick and choose the order of 'dot' by touching the circles at the top of the screen. This is a nice option if you do have a student who has a favorite color or favorite activity. It would be an easy way to use that page as a 'reinforcer'. You could skip the page without going through each page.

Spot the Dot could be used to support a variety of IEP goals/objectives (a couple I mentioned above). For one, this would be a great app to reinforce colors and shapes along with locating target areas of the iPad screen. For beginning readers, this app would be perfect given the repetitive text and simple text. Due to the repetitive text, this would also be a great app to use with another for of technology, such as a single message voice output device (Big Mack switch) or students who have SGD (speech generated devices). Lastly, I could see this app being used in a group setting to work on turn-taking and "waiting".

With all interactive books, I like to see the text highlight as it reads the story. I think it helps the students focus (even if they can't read the words) as well as increases their print awareness. My suggestions would be:

• include highlighted text as the story
• allowing an option for "read to me" or "read on my own" to allow the app to be used for teaching as well as assessing

In conclusion, this app is another one to add to your "wish list". It is perfect for all young children who are learning colors or beginning to read. It is a perfect app for parents to share with children as the embedded activities can be used as "teaching" moments. I am already thinking about the activities that I can do in conjunction with this story within the classroom when we do our color theme. This wouls also be a great app to incorporate into an elementary art lesson using both David A. Carter's paper books as well as this app. Spot the Dot does offer a FREE LITE version. Try it for FREE and I'm sure you, oh I mean, your child will want the full version (and it's only $3.99).

I have included a brief video that spotlights Spot the Dot, featuring the author David A. Carter.

APP INFO
developer: Ruckus Media Group
website: http://www.ruckusmediagroup.com/
itunes: Spot the Dot
category: Games
recently updated: May 25, 2011