In our speech therapy classroom, many of my students with language disorders have difficulty asking and answering Wh- questions in meaningful and grammatically correct ways. We work on Wh- questions in a variety of fun activities. One of our favorite apps to use is “WH Questions”, by Smarty Ears Apps. In this multi-user app, there are plenty of practice opportunities for Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How? questions.
There are 2 primary learning activities: Speak My Answers and Select My Answers. The user can select the question type(s) desired for each activity.
In Speak My Answers, the app reads the question aloud (this is where it gets really fun)! We use our Bluebee Pals, and they read the questions to us, just like in a real conversation! The Bluebee Pal asks the question, and the student replies, using the record feature. Then, when the recording of the student is played back, the student can hear his/her own productions (with the Bluebee Pal speaking in the student’s voice)! Performance data is even tracked if desired.
In Select My Answers, the app (Bluebee Pal) asks a question and three choices are given at the bottom of the screen for the student to pick from. My students absolutely love using their Bluebee Pals to help them work on Wh-questions! They are wonderful for increased engagement and participation!
In speech therapy, we work on language, vocabulary, story retelling, and comprehension skills. “The Little Red Hen with WordWinks and Retell, Record & Share”, by You Tell Me Stories App, Inc., is a fantastic book to use with Bluebee Pals to target language and communication skills! In this storybook app, students can listen to the story read aloud by their favorite Bluebee Pal, can read the story to their Bluebee Pal, and can sequence, retell and record the story for their Bluebee Pal to read back to them!
This app has a unique feature, called WordWinks that uses extra comments during the story to maximize comprehension skills. This helps students understand the vocabulary or thoughts used in the story, and stimulates conversation and critical thinking skills.
I LOVE using story books that have a “moral to the story” that supports character education skills. Bluebee Pals make the lessons even more entertaining, which leads to improved attending and engagement during class, and increased acquisition of learning objectives!