I recently downloaded a new set of apps from the makers “Colorcards Apps” because, like you, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to elicit great language responses.
These apps provide engaging opportunities for students to communicate using pictures for sequencing, predicting and describing.
Here’s the breakdown:
Colorcards Sequencing apps contain pictures for students to sequence. Currently, Colorcards offers three options:
Basic sequences app: 3 pictures to sequence
4-Step: 4 pictures to sequence
6 & 8 Step: 6 and 8 pictures to sequence
The home-screen provides you with a few different options on how you want to use the app with your students.
1. Ordering-students place the pictures in the correct order.
2. Predicting- students guess what will happen in the fourth picture.
3. Describing-students describe what is going on in the picture.
Here’s one of my girls working on sequencing an 6-step sequence! Go girl!
One of the features I love is the microphone option to record student responses. They get a kick out of hearing themselves tell the story and, (my favorite) are more likely to catch any mistakes after hearing their sentences.
Another great option is the ability to easily record student answers. In the picture above, see the “check,” “check (with help)” and “X?” Click on those once the student sequences/predicts/describes and the app will keep all this data safe for you! You can also email audio student answers to show in meetings or on conference night (which is next week for me!)
The other two apps from Colorcards What Can You See? and Everyday Objects work on describing and inferring.
Hidden objects are revealed little by little. My students have loved trying to guess the object. We play whoever guesses it first gets a point. Always love a little healthy competition right?
Again, these apps provide a microphone and the ability to keep track of responses.
Pros:
- My students had a blast revealing objects and trying to guess them first.
- I LOVED the microphone option and students also enjoyed hearing their responses.
- The data collection was a great feature, and I also enjoyed having a middle option of “correct with help.”
Cons:
- The pictures were always in the same order when starting out. I believe there is an option to change the order of pictures but it would be nice if the app rearranged them automatically.
- The price might be considered high by some (especially therapists like me who don’t have a school budget).
Please note: These apps were provided for review by Colorcards. No other compensation was provided. The opinions are all mine!
And….Colorcards is generously giving away a free set of these apps! Enter the rafflecopter below to enter:
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Meagan Lawson says
February 5, 2015 at 9:34 pmAs an SLP who travels to three different schools, and also does push in therapy in two classrooms for children with intellectual disabilities, I am always on the go. Being able to bring my ipad with apps that can address a variety of goals allows me to lighten the load of materials that I have to carry from place to place. These would be great to use with my students, as I don’t have any apps that are anything like these! They look wonderful!
Erin says
February 5, 2015 at 9:34 pmI have one of the boxed sets of color cards and I love them! Yay that they have an app now 🙂
Judy Hale says
February 5, 2015 at 9:49 pmI have many students who have sequencing and/or narrative type goals on their IEPs. The iPad is certainly motivating to them. I am also lucky enough to have a room with an interactive board, and can display content from the iPad on it with an adapter, so I could even use this with groups! Would love to add this to my iPad toolkit!
Kristen says
February 5, 2015 at 9:53 pmI work with pre-K through 5 and I recently got an iPad to use for therapy! Would love to use this for my language kiddos!
Alana says
February 5, 2015 at 10:36 pmI love Colorcards products. I have the 6-8 step sequences and my students really enjoy them. This would be a great addition to my therapy activities! The microphone and data collection options seem great!
Cara k says
February 5, 2015 at 10:58 pmLove be
Lindsey says
February 5, 2015 at 11:15 pmI would love to use this for the children who are working on language! This would provide a new activity for them!
Hope says
February 6, 2015 at 12:37 amThis looks great for my students with sequencing goals. I love that there are 6- and 8-step sequences as my higher level students need the challenge. Plus doing it on the iPad is so much more fun than using cards. Thanks for the giveaway!
Teach Speech 365 says
February 6, 2015 at 12:42 amThis looks like such a fun AND functional app. I always need more for sequencing and I love the inferring part!
Amy C says
February 6, 2015 at 1:12 amI LOVE that their is an app version of these cards! I need sequencing cards and these would be fantastic. Thanks for reviewing them!
Michelle says
February 6, 2015 at 1:20 amThis looks like such a great app that I could definitely use with multiple kiddos I have!
Jamie says
February 6, 2015 at 1:33 amI have several students on my caseload who are working on describing by attributes as well as sequencing and retell. This looks like a great app, and would be a nice switch from the typical flashcards that my students use.
It’s also nice to be able to have the decks on an iPad, when I travel from class to class. It’s a lot less cumbersome than bringing decks of cards.
Debra says
February 6, 2015 at 1:37 amI had just spent the last 30 minute looking at these apps and the email that was sent about them, when Allison’s email blog about them popped up in my email! What I liked best about them was the sequence app and the microphone to record. It certainly hits upon both receptive and expressive goals with that tool. All students on my caseload would benefit, but the 3 kiddos that I am thinking about the most are all in need of a self contained which our school doesnt have. I spent mega amounts of time helping teachers provide appropriate and constructive activities that are NOT busy work! The blank lesson plan cards are also wonderful to get carryover between school/home/therapy. This company put a lot of thought into pulling so many aspects of therapy together. I can see these apps helping me create a bridge between therapy, school (classroom) and home. Thanks:).
Katie says
February 6, 2015 at 2:13 amThese look great for my kids working on sequencing, story retell, and so many other goals. I think they would love “playing” with these apps!
Andrea says
February 6, 2015 at 2:25 amI like the “What can you see” app. It looks like it would be good to elicit a lot of language.
Connie says
February 6, 2015 at 3:44 amI would be able to use these everyday with my students for various tasks like sequencing, storytelling, etc.
Sharon says
February 6, 2015 at 4:10 amThis looks great! I could use this with many groups!
Amanda Kinsey says
February 6, 2015 at 4:35 amThis looks amazing! I work with life skills students & students with autism so these would be fantastic activities to use with them!
Shara Kuehl says
February 6, 2015 at 5:00 amI would love to have these apps, especially the sequencing and everyday objects. They could both be used for such a variety of goals. The sequencing app could be used to work on grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, descriptive language, concepts. The everyday objects app would be perfect to target labeling and defining and describing attributes. So versatile!
Cary says
February 6, 2015 at 11:46 amThe sequencing app sounds great. I would love the record feature that would provide them with an opportunity to self-monitor grammar, use of vocabulary, or even target sounds for the artic kids.
Cristine says
February 6, 2015 at 12:17 pmI especially love the hidden objects and the sequencing. These apps can be used for a variety of targets.
Kim Hovey says
February 6, 2015 at 12:43 pmI love the ColorCards boxed cards and am happy to see they are now apps! Anything to lighten my therapy bag!
Kristine says
February 6, 2015 at 12:56 pmI am always looking for more sequencing activities. I have some students who are working on describing sequences. I also have students who work on describing objects/pictures.
Crystal says
February 6, 2015 at 2:42 pmI loved these cards during graduate school, made it for an easy prep time and the kids loved the vibrant colors. As a freshly graduated SLP with very little finds, they will come very handy at my new job.
Sarah says
February 6, 2015 at 2:59 pmThose apps look great!
Karen says
February 6, 2015 at 8:11 pmI’ve been working with iPad apps for a number of years and am always looking for new apps that are appropriate for my students. These apps look like they might for the bill!
Maryann Potts says
February 6, 2015 at 11:30 pmI have used Color Cards for years. I did not know they had Apps! Thank you for this review to make others aware. I would love to win the App, because I love working on sequencing skills with students, and the iPad makes the kids motivated to work on skills in a new exciting way!
Meredith says
February 7, 2015 at 2:40 amHave a boxed set of the sequencing cards, but hate to drag them around school. Would love to have these on the iPad.
Annie Doyle says
February 8, 2015 at 4:17 pmThese apps look wonderful for use with a variety of ages and ability levels with language difficulties. Using the iPad is very motivating for students and is a nice change from sequence cards. I really like the microphone option!
Valerie says
February 8, 2015 at 5:55 pmlooks like a great app for a variety of ages
Sue Blankenship says
February 9, 2015 at 1:21 amThis app looks awesome! Color Cards are quality materials that I only have a couple of (the hard copies) and this assortment app would be useful across my caseload to target many goals!
Megan says
February 9, 2015 at 3:01 amI have three of this company’s product and the kids LOVE them. I’d love one for the iPad to integrate more technology and change things up for the kids.
Faith Smith says
February 9, 2015 at 11:21 amI am always looking for new sequencing cards for my students. These are so colorful and engaging…paired with the iPad, I know these will be a hit!
Brandi Roeker says
February 9, 2015 at 5:39 pmI have been using the same old cards over and over for sequencing stories. These card sets would be a wonderful to make sequencing more exciting and engaging for my students.
Jennifer M says
February 10, 2015 at 11:43 amTravelling to different schools, this would help lighten the load of my ever increasingly heavy bag! I have a few students that would be very engaged by this activity.
Lisa Takefman says
February 10, 2015 at 11:47 amAlways looking for apps for language therapy.
Jennifer Cahill says
February 10, 2015 at 9:49 pmI would love these apps for my students! I am a big fan of the colourcards and delighted to see they are now available as apps! I really like the predicting feature. I work with children with intellectual disability who find inferencing and predicting quite difficult so these would be ideal.
Karla says
February 11, 2015 at 5:19 amAs an SLP in private practice, I often allow the clients to choose from a closed set of activities when target their goals. These cards would be a great addition.