iPractice Verbs, a fun and educational app for the iPhone and iPad developed by Smarty Ears Apps, focuses on increasing your child’s mastery of verbs and verb forms. Developed with the help of a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, the app offers an in-depth review of verbs, their conjugations, and how to use them correctly in context.
Verbs are an important part of your child’s speech development and this is reflected in the official kindergarten curriculum of several states. According to the app’s description on iTunes, iPractice Verbs engages the exact verb acquisition and usage skills that are a standard for elementary learning. Using this app with your children is a great way to prepare your child for elementary learning, to give a younger child a head start, or to help overcome delays in your child’s speech development when used in conjunction with the help of a children’s speech therapist.
This multi-purpose app features two different learning options: “Flashcards” and a unique “Find It” function. The “Flashcards” mode is designed to familiarize your child with over 120 verbs available on the app. The verbs can be practiced in present, present progressive, and past tense, as well as in a phrase or a sentence. Each verb is presented with corresponding audio and pictures to strengthen your child’s understanding of the verb at both the sensory and conceptual level. A customizable list of verbs is available so your child can target new words or review particularly troublesome ones. The use of flashcards in speech therapy is a technique often used by children’s speech therapists in helping kids with their language development.
The “Find it” mode of iPractice Verbs turns identifying verbs and their correct usage into a fun and engaging game. Your child is presented with a verb, verb phrase, or sentence and must select the correct corresponding image. If a child answers incorrectly, iPractice Verbs responds in a supportive way by narrowing down the answer options and encouraging your child to try again. According to the official description of the app on iTunes, this approach is used to “maximize student success and learning” by offering positive reinforcement. Like the “Flashcards” option, “Find It” allows you to customize the specific verbs that your child practices.
By asking your child to make a contextual connection between the sentence and a series of images, “Find It” engages a higher level of thinking that stimulates your child’s language development and their ability to create their own verb phrases and sentences. This also develops listening skills, which speech therapists consider an important part of language development.
iPractice Verbs is a great tool to help your child take his language development to the next level using techniques approved by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Colorful, convenient, and easy to use, this app is sure to be a hit as well as a valuable resource for you and your young ones.
