SillySongs App Review!!!

First I will start off with a little bit of background about the app and then I will get in to what I thought about it. Chicken Lips Apps created an app called SillySongs to target phonology and sound awareness. The app can be used with children to improve speech and language needs related to autism, apraxia, and phonological processes, as well as improve early literacy skills. The repetitive phrases played in this app are set to fun melodies and makes repetition easier for younger elementary students.


This is what the menu looks like when you first open the app. At the moment there are only three phonemes available, but I can only hope in the future the app will be expanded.

When you touch a letter a screen similar to this one pops up. The student or therapist must match the shapes to the outline in the drop zone (green circle). That starts a song. At the end of the song this screen pops up again and another shape is matched.

This is an example of a song screen. As the song is sung the words get bigger so students can follow along with it.

This is an example of a bonus game.

 

This is an example of the flash cards. The words in the songs can be practiced ahead of time.

I would recommend this app for students who are working on these sounds as it is more fun than articulation practice.

Pros:

• The artic practice is set to music.
• You have to find/match the correct shape to unlock the song.
• There is a bonus game feature students can earn.
• Flashcards allow for students to practice the target words before singing the song
• The song plays fully and then repeats with a missing word for the students to fill in.
• The target word becomes enlarged so students know which word they will have to repeat.  

Cons:

• All the songs are to the same tune.
• Once a shape is matched and the song starts there is no way to pause.

The opinions in this review are mine and only mine. I was provided a copy of this app and no other compensation.

Ways to make Articulation Therpay Fun!!!

Over the last few weeks I have noticed many of my articulation students not wanting to play games on the iPad, so going back to my childhood I started creating and purchasing inexpensive materials to make therapy more fun.

1.) Fishing for Articulation Words

 

 



 

The upper fish is from a package of die cuts I bought at dollar tree which I then laminated for durability and attached zip ties to for fishing. The zip ties were purchased at the 99 cent store. The plastic fishing set which comes with 1 fishing rod and 4 plastic fish (I purchased 2 sets) was from target.

I love this idea because you can use any combination of articulation, language, conversation, pragmatics, basically any card to target any goal your students may have. This is great for working in groups with multiple goals.

2.) Ping Pong/ Carnival Ball Toss

Just like with fishing you can use this game to target basically any goal. I bought the cups and ping pong balls at Dollar Tree. This game was difficult for my students, not sure if it was because of the low to the ground table or small cups but I may need to adjust this game before playing it again.

3.) Basketball

Using the set up from ping pong I put numbers inside each cup and used the ping pong balls and the trashcan in my therapy room. The students enjoyed trying to get the ping pong balls into the trashcan. With each shot they made they had to pick a number and complete the task or tasks under the cup.


These activities would work great with my new Gone Fishin' series of activities in my TeachersPayTeachers Store.


What fun things do you do in your therapy room?

Breana