“I am a special needs teacher and work with a population of middle school age children with moderate to severe special needs. In this video, Sally is an eighth-grade student with Autism who is in our Critical Life Skills Program. Critical Life Skills include adapted academics, toileting, feeding, mobility, communication, dressing, self-help, and social/emotional achievement and functioning. As a special needs teacher, I am always searching for new ways to reach my students and keep their attention. The Bluebee Pal is an amazing educational tool to encourage reading and literacy. Whether the Bluebee is narrating a story or identifying a word for the student to locate on an Ipad/touch screen.” …**Cheryl Stark-Special Needs Teacher….http://bluebeepals.com
Assistive Technology Tools for Special Needs Children
Sally is listening to the Raz A-Z Reading Program read to her from Bluebee Pal Parker the Monkey. She then taps on the self-read function after he reads to her and states, now she is reading to her Bluebee Monkey. Bluebee Pals are powerful assistive technology tools for many special needs children as they engage in learning and communication by connecting to any app with a narrative including the Bluebee Pal App. In addition, they provide companionship as a learning buddy who is soft, cuddly and non-judgmental. It’s an opportunity for children to interact with a humanoid companion outside the daily routine of staring into the screen on a iPad or laptop.
Raz-Kids is an online reading program that helps students hone comprehension skills in class, at home, or on the go. Students can read and listen to eBooks at 29 different reading levels, use eTools for active reading, and take quizzes while teachers and parents monitor student reading activity and quiz reports. The Kids A-Z mobile app delivers interactive learning content for Raz-Plus, Raz-Kids, Headsprout, and Science A-Z anytime, anywhere. Kids can choose from a library of eBooks, eQuizzes, and other eResources. With the Kids A-Z app, personalized learning goes wherever the student does! https://www.bluebeepals.com/tutorials/
The Bluebee Pals Pilot collaboration between New York City Schools boroughs is demonstrating to be a great success! Testimonials from early childhood teachers and speech therapists acknowledge the integration of Bluebee Pal as a valuable educational tool to motivate students in learning. Bluebee Pals assistive technology tools are incorporated into classrooms to support teachers in engaging literacy and communication through lesson plans, social/emotional, and life skills. The Bluebee Pal Program highlights a robotic stuffed animal that connects to IOS and Android devices and speaks through all apps with a narrative, including the Bluebee Pal App. In 2020, Kayle Concepts brand owner introduced Bluebee Pal Lesson Plans, Children’s Book and Activity Guide for early childhood educators.https://www.bluebeepals.com
P17X@385 BLUEBEE PALS PROMOTE LEARNING
Amanda Acosta, K-2 TeacheR, Bronx
Bluebee Pal is a fun way to encourage my students to participate during ElA. My class students voted on changing Parker the Monkey’s name to Momo. During read aloud, they are engaged with Momo and fascinated a stuffed animal is reading directly to them. When it comes to questioning, they will answer the question and give Momo a high five for participating.
Overall, they have enjoyed Fundations( a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling, and handwriting program)with Bluebee Pals assistive technology devices; it has promoted their encouragement to engage and sit and attain what is being said by the device. In addition, there is an independent center where students have an opportunity to work with Momo with their letters, which they love to do. They have incorporated Momo into their routines; once they unpack, they ask where momo is in the classroom. https://www.bluebeepals.com/tutorials/
Rachel Callahan, K-2 Teacher, Bronx
My students love using the Bluebee Pal! They were intrigued by the lion and would repeat letter sounds that Bluebee Pal said while connected to a voice recording app. They also enjoyed all stories and games. Students who do not demonstrate strong, functional, speech are more likely to participate from using the Bluebee Pal.
P77K@178 INTRODUCING BLUEBEE PALS INTO SPEECH THERAPY
Vaishalie Ramsumair, M.A. CF-SLP, TSSLD, Brooklyn
I have now begun to integrate Bluebee Pal “Lily the Lamb” and the Bluebee Pal app into my therapy sessions. My non-verbal and minimally verbal students’ eyes immediately light up. My students have been highly motivated by the “daily activity” feature, where they are given the autonomy to select an activity based on the rooms in the Bluebee Pal App House.
The Bluebee Pal has helped one of my students in particular to generalize her ability to request via static display speech-generating device (GoTalk9+). While lunchtime has historically been the sole motivating activity for this student, she demonstrated the ability today to request Lily the Lamb within a structured play context using her GoTalk 9+. I will definitely continue to use Bluebee Pal Lily and Bluebee Pal App in future therapy sessions.
In August of 2019, the University of Central Flori at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida began their journey as a Bluebee Pals Project site. The PedsAcademy provides hospital-based school programming to children who are fighting for their health. This educational program brings educators into the hospital setting allowing the patients to focus on being students again. They participate in research-backed educational opportunities through the use of technology including the Bluebee Pals. Out tech companions provide dual purposes: creating a nurturing environment and engaging children in early childhood literacy.https://www.bluebeepals.com
Rebeca Grysko, Associate Director of Teacher Education and Post-Doctoral Scholar at UCF’s PedsAcademy, shared that the Bluebee Pals were a “great success” during read aloud activities with patients and families. The families appreciated our furry assistive technology tools encourage reading and communication in an hospital setting.https://www.bluebeepals.com/therapists/
Bluebee Pals Engage in Vocabulary and Reading
Student teaching interns have been using the Bluebee Pal to teach vocabulary and increase reading skills. In addition, our pals have helped to engage, comfort, incentivize and entertain the students during lessons. These plush educational tech tools act as reading buddies for PedsAcademy students that need extra support such as those with learning disabilities or second-language learners.
Bluebee Pals have “made so many of the lessons 10x better!” shared a teaching intern. One very special participant was a 23-month-old patient who engaged with Bluebee Pal Parker the Monkey while reading stories, singing nursery rhymes and following simple directions. Our educators utilize these “motivational” assistive technology tools in all reading programs.
What a joy it is to see the positive impact of Bluebee Pals at the PedsAcademy! We are honored to be part of their amazing program that helps ensure academic access to their patients! https://ccie.ucf.edu/teachered/peds-academy/
Punam Desormes, M.A., CCC-SLP, ATP
Faculty Clinical Instructor
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
University of Central Florida
PS K771 is a safe and orderly school in Brooklyn, New York where teachers agree the principal is a trustworthy and effective leader, surveys report. The school, which serves over 400 1st- 12th graders, is located in nine sites throughout Brooklyn. The student body mainly consists of learners with autism, emotional disturbances, multiple handicaps or intellectual disabilities. P177K was thrilled to participate in the pilot program supported by the Bluebee Pals Project.
The school is a part of a special pilot program where Bluebee Pals are donated to specific schools in exchange for provider feedback. Laura Jiencke, founder of Bluebee pals created the program to include free professional development for teachers and therapists to kick start the program. Many principals expediated the Bluebee Pal Pilot Progam and provided photos, videos, and testimonials within weeks of implementing the program. The positive testimonials and principal support resulted in a successful collaboration between the New York City Schools and Kayle Concepts owner of the Bluebee Pal brand.https://www.bluebeepals.com
“As promised with our Bluebee Pal Pilot Program, I wanted to share our feedback from our ENL Teacher and Speech Therapist. We are also buying more Bluebee Pals.” Vinnette Ferrandino, Principal, I.A.P771K
Bluebee Pals Motivating Communication in Speech Therapy
The training was great. The videos provided a demonstration of the actual usage of Bluebee Pals and how other teachers incorporate them into their lesson plans.
I use Bluebee during push in sessions and reading time. I tend to prefer functional communication so to me it’s a great engagement tool that catches the student’s attention and is fun. They attend to it.
I think every 12:1:4 classroom and 6:1:1 classroom can benefit from using Bluebee Pals
Bluebee Pals Engaging Learning- ENL Teacher
The training provided valuable overview of the Bluebee Pal, the capabilities, and possible classroom use. The opportunity to view the videos of classes with Bluebee Pals and feedback from the teachers was very helpful and inspiring. In addition, the summary of the resources available on the website can be very useful to supplement the classroom activities.
I use the Bluebee Pal in my small groups sessions. It has proven to be a valuable tool for increasing students engagement, creating more entry points for curriculum and increasing the comfort level of the multilingual students. I have noticed that given an opportunity for a student to hear texts or stories in native language decreases the stress level and promotes a positive attitude towards the school setting.
Bluebee pal provides an incredibly powerful engagement option for younger students and early learners. In addition, I can see the possibilities to increase student’s independence/choice making by giving them an option to use the Pal during DEAR time but that would require multiple pals for the class.
We will be looking to purchase additional Bluebee Pals shortly.
Kayle Concepts implemented a Bluebee Pal Pilot Program in five Bronx and five Brooklyn Schools. The program was designed to promote Bluebee Pals as an or early childhood educators and therapists in mainstream and special needs schools. New York City Schools consists of five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island and considered one of the largest educational institutions in the United States. In the New York City School system, technology is recognized as an important component of education. While we anticipated a supportive response, the teachers and therapists have exceeded our expectations in recognizing Bluebee Pals as a vital assistive technology tool in engaging learning and communication. https://www.bluebeepals.com/tutorials/
P. 53K at P384 Brooklyn, New York: Barbara Barone-Speech Therapist
1. How often are Bluebee Pals used daily/weekly? We use Bluebeee daily during speech therapy, classroom lessons, and student enrichment clusters (SEM).
2. What activities are Bluebee Pals used with? We focus on literacy, music and vocabulary connected to AAC devices for communication. In addition to social/emotional interaction skills.
3. Who is using the Bluebee Pals? The speech therapists and teachers at our site are using the Bluebee Pals as well as the students we each service.
4. What goals/objectives are you targeting when using Bluebee Pals? As a speech therapist, my main objective is to use Bluebee Pals to improve social interaction skills. In particular, we have been working on the students greeting the Bluebee, maintaining conversations by asking and answering questions, and engaging in eye contact.We have also been targeting vocabulary and speech production by using the Bluebee as a model for language.
5. How does Bluebee Pal effect the activity and student progress/engagement? The students absolutely love the Blueebee Pals. They are fun, interactive and motivating for all! Many of my students exhibit social delays that make it difficult for them to engage with their peers. They have been so excited to interact with Bluebee by asking him questions and modeling his language. I hope this will teach them the social skills they need to communicate with their peers.
6. What are your favorite apps to use with Bluebee Pals? AAC Apps – Proloquo, Touch Chat, LAMP, Myon, Reading App, Spotify – Sammy is a great addition to our dance parties social Story and Pictello – I have been creating stories and social scripts with the students and Bluebee does a great job of bringing them to life. Voice Recorder – to record social scripts for the students to use when practicing asking and answering questions with the Bluebee.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voice-recorder-audio-editor/id685310398
7. What is your feedback on the Bluebee Pal App, Book and Activity Book? The app is great! My students really enjoy completing the puzzles and putting cars on the race track. I like using the alphabet board to word on letter recognition and the home for activities of daily living skills (ADL).
Early childhood teachers, speech and occupational therapists are integrating Bluebee into their programs. Their passion is reflected in the variety and creative usages Bluebee Pals are utilized on a daily basis as an assistive technology tool. “I have only been using the Bluebee Pals for a month but the students and I already love it! I look forward to discovering new and exciting ways to incorporate it into my speech practice.” -Barbra Barone Barbara Barone Speech Department, P. 53K at P384 Brooklyn, New York
The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing creative programs and partnerships to facilitate opportunities for people with Down syndrome and their families. They offer innovative services including iCan! The Learning Program focused on providing parents with the tools to strengthen the educational potential of their child. Developed by Dana Halle, founder of the Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County, the program consists of monthly workshops for parents and their children with Down syndrome. The caregivers learn how to teach reading, introduce math and create effective learning session. https://www.bluebeepals.com/about-us/
While the parents are hard at work, so are the kids! Alaine Miller, a partnering speech-language pathologist, runs the children’s sessions during this 9-month program. Alaine found another partner to join the mix as well. You guessed it – Bluebee Pals! The Down Syndrome Foundation is a Bluebee Pals Project donation recipient and the kids have been having a blast with their new cuddly friends!
Alaine uses Blubee Pals to Model Social Skills, Speech-Language Skills, and Positive Behavior.
Using voice recordings, text-to-speech apps and educational songs, the children interact with Bluebee and their friends each month. Greetings, turn-taking, appropriate sitting, encouragement and listening comprehension are just some of the things Bluebee assists the students in learning. Alaine stated that the educational tech tool has “maximally increased engagement and progress” amongst her students
“The children were eager to interact with Bluebee and thought it was great to answer a question Bluebee asked. They also loved hugging Bluebee and giving him high fives when they were working hard!”
The children of the iCan! Learning Program also helped Bluebee by fix any silly mistakes he made – “allowing the children the opportunity to correct him, which they thought was silly and fun”!
iCan! The Learning Program is filling in much needed gaps in the education of children with Down syndrome and providing essential parental support. Check it out along with the numerous other services provided by the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida here: https://dsfflorida.org
“I am a special needs teacher and work with a population of middle school age children with moderate to severe special needs. In 
this video, Sally is an eighth-grade student with Autism who is in our Critical Life Skills Program. Critical Life Skills include adapted academics, toileting, feeding, mobility, communication, dressing, self-help, and social/emotional achievement and functioning. As a special needs teacher, I am always searching for new ways to reach my students and keep their attention. The Bluebee Pal is an amazing educational tool to encourage reading and literacy. Whether the Bluebee is narrating a story or identifying a word for the student to locate on an Ipad/touch screen.” …**Cheryl Stark-Special Needs Teacher….http://bluebeepals.com
Sally is listening to the Raz A-Z Reading Program read to her from Bluebee Pal Parker the Monkey. She then taps on the self-read function after he reads to her and states, now she is reading to her Bluebee Monkey. Bluebee Pals are powerful assistive technology tools for many special needs children as they engage in learning and communication by connecting to any app with a narrative including the Bluebee Pal App. In addition, they provide companionship as a learning buddy who is soft, cuddly and non-judgmental. It’s an opportunity for children to interact with a humanoid companion outside the daily routine of staring into the screen on a iPad or laptop.
In August of 2019, the University of Central Flori at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida began their journey as a Bluebee Pals Project site. The PedsAcademy provides hospital-based school programming to children who are fighting for their health. This educational program brings educators into the hospital setting allowing the patients to focus on being students again. They participate in research-backed educational opportunities through the use of technology including the Bluebee Pals. Out tech companions provide dual purposes: creating a nurturing environment and engaging children in early childhood literacy.
Rebeca Grysko, Associate Director of Teacher Education and Post-Doctoral Scholar at UCF’s PedsAcademy, shared that the Bluebee Pals were a “great success” during read aloud activities with patients and families. The families appreciated our furry assistive technology tools encourage reading and communication in an hospital setting.
Bluebee Pals Motivating Communication in Speech Therapy
Bluebee Pals Engaging Learning- ENL Teacher
P. 53K at P384 Brooklyn, New York: Barbara Barone-Speech Therapist 
4. What goals/objectives are you targeting when using Bluebee Pals? As a speech therapist, my main objective is to use Bluebee Pals to improve social interaction skills. In particular, we have been working on the students greeting the Bluebee, maintaining conversations by asking and answering questions, and engaging in eye contact.
5. How does Bluebee Pal effect the activity and student progress/engagement? The students absolutely love the Blueebee Pals. They are fun, interactive and motivating for all! Many of my students exhibit social delays that make it difficult for them to engage with their peers. They have been so excited to interact with Bluebee by asking him questions and modeling his language. I hope this will teach them the social skills they need to communicate with their peers.
The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing creative 
programs and partnerships to facilitate opportunities for people with Down syndrome and their families. They offer innovative services including iCan! The Learning Program focused on providing parents with the tools to strengthen the educational potential of their child. Developed by Dana Halle, founder of the Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County, the program consists of monthly workshops for parents and their children with Down syndrome. The caregivers learn how to teach reading, introduce math and create effective learning session. 
“The children were eager to interact with Bluebee and thought it was great to answer a question Bluebee asked. They also loved hugging Bluebee and giving him high fives when they were working hard!”