How to Read Books with Children with Language Delays

This article was posted by a Facebook colleague from Maryland. We know reading to children is so important. This ASHA article talks about reading to children with language delays. It gives some great tips like reading face to face with your child and making sure your mouth is not covered as well as what type of books to choose.


http://blog.asha.org/2011/06/14/how-to-read-books-with-children-with-language-delay/

What book or kinds of books do you enjoy reading with your kids? Leave a comment and let me know!

To my students, I enjoy reading books with repetitive text so that students get the benefit of hearing/saying the same phrase as well as I can easily program the phrase on a big mack to allow all students to take a turn reading.

To my 5 year old daughter, I love to read her The Magic Treehouse books. The imagination of the characters fits perfectly with her own imagination and I like that most of the events have a historical basis.

To my 3 year old son, I love to let him pick out books and have him "read" to me. The stories I get about Lightening McQueen and Dinosaurs are amazing.

Happy Reading!
~Melanie

The "BubCap"

In my recent twitter exploration, I found a company called Paperclip Robot that I began "following" and they in turn, "followed" me. I must admit, I am a little picky on who I allow to follow me so I always check out the twitter profile before I allow someone to "follow" me. I was very interested when I read the profile:

"Creators of BubCap home button covers for iPhone, iPad, & iPod touch. Finally, a way to keep toddlers in their apps (& out of yours). Great for AAC & educators."

The BubCap, I thought, what a concept! I know that my students, when left alone for a second, would rather choose a more passive app (piano or paperjams drums) than the activity I chose. Also, for one student who I was trying to use an AAC app with, it would occasionally become a "game" to click out of it and then click back in. Even though these items were marketed for keeping "toddlers" out of apps, would they work with my students? Just the fact that the "circle with the square" button (AKA home button) was no longer visible, could it work? Would the BubCap help resolve some of these issues?

Paperclip Robot offered to send me a few to try out. They were generous enough to send me 2 for the iPhone (thin), 2 medium (thickness) for the iPad, and 2 BubCap Max (thickest for slightly older children). I was very impressed on how they worked. With most of my students, the mere fact that the BubCap took away the visual button was enough to keep them where they belonged. A couple students realized that something different was there, but when they touched and even pressed a little on the BubCap. When nothing happened, they went back to the activity at hand.

I did not trial the iPhone BubCaps. I actually sent them to a new "friend" I met via the A4CWSN app party. I asked her to send me info about how they work with her son (ASD, I believe). When I get her response, I will post her comments here as well. I used the medium iPad covers for my work iPad and I put one on my husband's iPad 2 because he kept hitting the home button with his thumb when he would hold his iPad in landscape mode. As for my work iPad, the Bubcap will definitely help keep my students where they need to be or at least slowed them down a little bit. I think the thickness of the medium was appropriate for most of the students in my classroom (ages 5-8). It took me a while to get used to how much pressure I needed to apply on the home button to get back. As for my husband's iPad 2, he loves it as he can now play his games and not worry about pressing the home button by accident. My own children are a little confused as they think we lost the "circle with the square" button. It has helped keep them engaged in a single app for longer than the few minutes they normally play before "app flipped" through the iPad. I have not used the BubCap max covers yet. After seeing the effectiveness of the medium covers, I think that I will be sharing these with another intervention specialist for her older students.

I did have a few concerns with the BubCaps:

1. How will they effect the home button long term? I wonder how the adhesive might effect the functionality of the home button if it is pushed in/out so much. Also, how long does the adhesive last and how often would they need to be replaced?
2. From website: "BubCaps may not work with all skins and cases, or may require skin or case removal to install and remove." This concerns me because so many of the individuals with special needs require the use of cases to make the idevice work for them AND they may need the Bubcap as well. This is where parents, therapist, teachers, etc. need to make informed decisions on technology and possible brainstorm some other modifications.
3. From website: "While many people report good outcomes using a BubCap over a screen protector, the results can be unpredictable; do so at your own risk." Again, similar to #2, often a screen protector is needed to effectively protect the screen. Another area that individuals will need to brainstorm some modifications ideas.
4. *update* One thing I forgot to mention in the original post was how it is difficult to "double tap/click" the home button to multitask or to change settings. Not that I do this often or that it is a big deal for me, just wanted to make you aware of this issue.

In conclusion, I think that the BubCaps are a quick and easy way to kid proof your  "idevice" (and in my case husband proof, too). It as a great way for me to allow my students a little "independent" time with the iPad and still know that they were working on what I needed them to be working on. I would definitely purchase these in the future, if needed. *update* The price for them is reasonable - set of 4 for $5 with free shipping if purchased through their site and using paypal OR set of 4 for $5+$1 shipping if purchased through Amazon. International orders are accepted as well.


If you have experience with BubCaps, I would be interested in hearing what you have to say. Please leave a comment!

~Melanie

Create a Car ~Review~

Create a Car

The creator of this app is the same as Math BINGO and Word BINGO This app is one of the apps that is just FUN! It has a simple design. It is similar to the Create a Car activity from the ABCya! website, but my students and I (and my own kids for that matter) found this app to be easier to navigate than the website. The app allows for multiple users to save information (5 in all). Users are asked to sign in or play as a guest. Users are first asked to "choose your ride". A choice of over 30 vehicle bodies are displayed from a police car to a school bus to something resembling a Smart Car. After a body is chosen, the user is given a choice of options to add onto car: wheels, engine, power tools, fun stuff, etc. The options are accessed by touching on a small square, but it isn't clearly marked as the option for parts which caused some confusion during the first couple times. Once a car is made, you have the option of saving it. To retrieve it, the user must access "My Garage". In here, there is a key button that starts and stops the vehicle, information button (which allows user to name, discription of vehicle, and lists special features), email picture of your car, edit your car, or delete it. The students liked the options and were very engaged while creating their car.

Additional IEP applications
Basically, I used this app for fun, getting user familiar with the touchscreen of the ipad, and as a reinforcing activity after another task was completed. However, it could be easily adapted to integrate it into IEP goals. Create a Car lends itself to working on basic concepts such as color and numbers. Initially, I wasn't aware of the information button in the "My Garage" section. That section would be great as a writing prompt. An individual could create a car, then use the information section as a guide to write about the car. Lastly, I could see this app (as well as the website) being used with a student to increase communication. Options could be presented to student (pictures of body type, wheels, etc.) and student would choose options.

Suggestions
A few suggestions for this app:

1. Since this app is in my "fun" catagory, I could see students using this app on there own. It would be great if there was an option for the student to have the directions read to them, if touched.
2. While in the create a car area, I think it would be helpful to place a word in the purple box with lines that allows you to change options. I think that either the word ADD or changing the color of box to green might help facilitate the idea that it is the option button.

Conclusion
In conclusion, this app is fun and engaging for both students and adults. The graphics are nice. The idea of creating his/her own car is a kids dream and the options to add onto each are can really give the imagination a workout. I could see this being an effective app for so many ages. It is one that my husband and son enjoy playing together as well. For $0.99, this app is well worth the purchase, especially as we head into vacation season.This $0.99 app will get you some quiet time in the car which could be priceless.

APP INFO
developer: ABCya!
website: http://www.abcya.com/
itunes: Create a Car
category: Education
recently updated: March 21, 2011

International Children's Day

Thanks to TOCA BOCA, developers from Sweden, for offering their apps FREE yesterday in honor of International Children's Day.

As you can see from my pic, my daughter (age 5) and Ming Ming (from The Wonder Pets) are enjoying a relaxing day by having a tea party. She is using the Toca Tea Party app and LOVING IT!!

Grace and Ming Ming enjoying a "virtual" tea party.

PS - I'll add a more in depth review after I enjoy the first few days of summer vacation with my little rugrats!

~Melanie

HAPPY SUMMER!

I just wanted to say HAPPY SUMMER to all my students and families. We had a great year and it is hard to believe it is over! All the students made some nice progress this year. Progress reports and report cards will be mailed next week. I look forward to seeing you in August even if you are not in my classroom. Miss Joseph will take good care of you as well.

Have a safe and fun summer! Check back to this site throughout the summer. I will continue to update the blog with summer activities, info about the coming school year, technology updates, as well as iPad information.

Take care,
Mrs. Broxterman