Wednesday, August 17, 2011

One company, many free apps for vocab

Kindergarten.com has put out a multitude of apps sorted into categories of 50 images each. Each app category is downloaded individually. I've downloaded 13 of their free apps. These apps were designed more for the iPhone than the iPad. When downloaded, one can view the pictures as iPhone size or enlarge to 2x. The enlarged image is not as sharp as the the smaller image. The vocabulary pictures are presented as photographs of the real item. At the bottom of each picture are two arrows. Tapping the right arrow advances the screen to a new picture. Tapping the left arrow brings one to the previous image.  To the left of the this arrow is an icon that I'm sure has name, but since I don't know it I'll call it the cloud icon. Tap on the icon and a voice names the picture. To the right of the right arrow is an information icon. Tap on it and a Settings option appears. One can turn/off the following: shuffle cards, voice audio, chime sound (it chimes when a picture is changed), and music reinforcement (for some reason not clear to me, classical music and floating notes will suddenly present themselves for every third-fifth-third-fifth, and so on, pictures). I found this to be interesting.

The website of Kindergarten.com states, "At Kindergarten.com we provide a wide range of early childhood applications using behavioral techniques that are based on the principals of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) using a Verbal Behavior (VB) technique." I am familiar with ABA but am clueless as to what they mean by VB techniques. Their apps don't provide any clue either since they are standard fare pictures.

Unlike the English Baby app where the categories are available on the open screen, one has close the screen if one wants to change categories.

Suggested uses in addition to vocab: Left-right positions with the arrows, identifying colors, object parts, attributes, categories, where object is found, how object is used.

Ages: 2 (maybe) to 7
Cost: Free
Rating: +++
Website: http://www.kindergarten.com



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