Tell Me About It!

"What a great app for fostering early language and thinking skills. We gave this app 5/5 Apples, saying, "Tell Me About It! is an ideal blend of professional quality therapy tool and child-friendly, motivational rewards for children with language delays and Autism spectrum disorders." - Apps for Homeschooling: App of the Week March 4, 2012

Editors Choice, 4.5/5 Stars - Best Apps for Kids: http://bestappsforkids.com/2012/02/tell-me-about-it-learning-language-by-receptive-funtion-feature-category/#

Tell Me About It! Learning Language by Receptive Feature, Function and Category teaches the label, category, function, and features of more than 235 language targets over 6 levels of incremental difficulty. The presentation of each target conforms to an Applied Behavior Analysis program with reinforcement provided by a token economy system. This is a self-contained DT-program that error corrects & provides direct reinforcement to the student while collecting data for up to 10 users. A Student Report Card displays data for each student with an option to email results.
For students with speech and language delays or for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning to label an image doesn’t necessarily translate into comprehensive understanding of that word. By breaking down each language target by its category, the function that it serves and its salient features, we offer students the opportunity to fully comprehend and then engage in language. This app is ideal for both home and classroom use.
Categories: Animals, Body Parts, Clothing, Food, Household Items, Dishes, Utensils, Tools, Toys, School Supplies, Sports, Vehicles, Accessories, Furniture, and Musical Instruments.
Levels: The App advances from the basic building blocks of language – simple labeling – all the way through shared features across categories. The Levels presented in incremental difficulty are: Level 1- Labels; Level 2 – Categories; Level 3 – Function; Level 4 – Feature; Level 5 - Randomized Feature, Function, Category; Level 6: Shared Featured, Function, Category.
Teacher’s Console: Teachers and parents can delve into the Teacher’s Console to control the settings for each student by turning the written labels for each language target ON/OFF, selecting a specific token character, selecting the default Level, and choosing a Reinforcement Schedule. There is even a motion that administrators can use while a game is in progress to access the Teacher’s Menu to adjust the settings or view reports. To access the Teacher’s Bar, simply swipe 2 fingers in an upward motion from the bottom of the screen up.
Reinforcement Schedule: This determines how many targets the student must answer correctly in order receive a token and complete a trial session. There is an option for 3, 5, or 10 tokens. This App strives to mimic an actual one-on-one instructional session with a therapist as much as is possible in an application. We determine which targets are defined as mastered by the program in a variety of ways. When answered correctly on the very first presentation, the student receives both a token and verbal praise and that target is considered mastered and not presented again on that level. If the answer is not correct on that first presentation, the target will be reintroduced in subsequent trials and must then be answered correctly on two consecutive presentations to be considered mastered. Error correction is provided by having the correct image flash along with verbal correction when an incorrect answer is given. The App then shuffles the placement of the images, and re-presents the same question. If the student answers correctly on this second attempt, they receive verbal praise only (no token) and then move to another question. Note that your Data sheets will display, in parentheses, how many times each target has been presented so that you are always aware of your student’s progression and where there might be deficits.