I recently presented a training “Apps for Communication” for parents.  After reading the feedback sheets, I am inspired to write this post and many more just like it.   The comment was “I would really like more time spent on how to actually use the recommended apps you suggested”.  So here it is…I am going to provide in great detail how I use one of my favorite apps for remediating speech & language disorders/delays.  The beauty of this app is that it is super fun and great for all kids! The app is My Play Home Store.  I first loved My Play Home, then this came about and I absolutely love this app too!  Oh and I better mention that this app only costs $1.99.

The app includes a variety of scenes: Ice Cream Parlor, Grocery Store, Produce Market, and a Clothing Store.  I use this app for vocabulary, following directions, articulation, sentence formulation, auditory discrimination, and pragmatics (social language) just to name a few.  I will give examples of what I do to work on each of these skills.

In this scene I may work on vocabulary by introducing:  stool, sundae (vs Sunday), dispenser, apron, cash register, toppings, ice cream parlor, beverage.  You can use the scenes to elicit a child’s  target speech  sounds to work on articulation.  Lets say your child has difficulty with producing /s/.  You have plenty of opportunity to have them” say /s/ words without  feeling as if you are drilling them on it.  Or perhaps decide to let them you are targeting the good /s/ sound.  So here you go,  “lets use our good /s/ sound for  ice cream, dispenser, spin, stool, sundae,  squares, scoop, stripe, etc.  Another idea is saying “how many things can you find in this ice cream parlor that make the /s/ sound?

In Screenshot 2, This scene is great for following directions.  You may say something like “get 2 blue popsicles, a carton of orange juice, and a cupcake.  You may want to continue to work on vocabulary skills in this and all the other scenes.  This scene is also nice for learning some basic concepts/spatial concepts, such as “please get a dessert from the middle shelf”, “please have the mom stand next to the shopping cart” and “please have the boy stand  in front of the shopping cart”.

 

Screenshot-3

This is a good scene for Pragmatics (social skills).  You can practice asking the store clerk questions, using good manners, and play out many different scenarios that could possibly take place at a clothing store.

 

 

 

Screenshot -4

Perhaps in this scene you may work on sentence formulation and asking questions.  I may say to a child/client “Find out what kinds
of fruits they sell”.  Then the child would need to formulate a question to ask the store clerk.  Their response may be “What kind of fruits do you have?”  You may also ask throughout all the scenes to describe what they hear inside and outside of each store.

These are just some ideas to get you started!  Have fun with it!