App time!

  I have two lists. One is from my kids therapists. The other is apps I've tripped on that I really like (for OT, speech, or just simply learning). I hope this helps others out there! Note that some of these are on the I-pad and mine are all Android based because right now my kids use my Kindle.

The list from my therapists:
Speech/ Language Apps
Language Builder by Mobile Education Tools (for I-pad)
Any flashcards or games by Kindergarten.com (for I-pad)- note this is just one link to one
    kind of flashcards. There's also cards for: sight words, food, problem solving, science,
    emotions, actions, animals, and receptive language development.
Toca Tea Party (for I-pad)
Pocket Phonics (for I-pad)
Dora Rhyming (for Android or I-pad)
Clean up by Different Roads to Learning (for I-pad)
Artik Pix (for I-Pad) or Pocket Artic (for Android) or Articulation Station (for I-pad)
iCommunicate- this has visual schedules, storyboards, communication boards, routines
    flashcards, choice boards, speech cards & more (spotlight app for AutismSpeaks)
Dress Up Free (for I-pad)
Speech with Milo (there's one for android, but more on I-pad)
Peekaboo Barn (for Android & I-pad)
Small Talk Phonemes (for I-pad)- everyday situation phrases, aid in dysgragia, oral
   motor exercies, daily activity phrases, medical care phrases (including pain),
   blends, days/ week/ month, numbers.
VAST (for I-pad)- used a lot w/ kids with autism. There's more than one app for this one.
Toddler Quiz (for I-pad)- don't let the name fool you. It's good for kids up to about 5 yrs old.
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox (for Android & I-pad)
ASL Dictionary (for Android & I-pad)
Fun with Directions, More Fun with Directions (for I-pad)
Super Duper (for Android & I-pad)
Picture the Sentence (for I-pad)
Sound Touch (for Android & I-pad)
Wheels on the Bus (for Android & I-pad)
Word Slapps (for I-pad)
Speech Therapy Apraxia (for Android & I-pad)
First Phrases (for I-pad)
My PlayHome (for Android & I-pad)

Occupational Therapy
ABC tracer (for Android & I-pad)
Toca Boca Apps (there's one for Android, but more for I-pad)
Coloring Apps (for Android & I-pad)
iSay (Simon)
Fruit Ninja (for Android & I-pad)
Highlights Hidden pictures (for I-pad)
Shape Builder (for Android & I-pad)
Where's Waldo (for Android & I-pad)
iWriteWords- featured in multiple fav app choices
iMazing
Impossible Maze (for I-pad) 
Counting Bills & Coins (for I-pad) 



My fav apps:
Hangman Free
First Grade Learning Games
Mathemagica
Coloring Book for kids


Apps I want to try:
Vocabulicious
Super Why!
Sid's Science Fair
Starfall: Learn to Read (my kids LOVE the website)
Smart Kids: 2nd Grade, Smart Kids: 3rd Grade, Smart Kids: 4th Grade
Learn to Count Money
American States & Capitals
American History Books

Sneak teaching

Or sneakily helping your kids in area they need help in. Because we're all about learning when my kids don't even realize that they're learning.

Reading & Writing:
* Write food recipes and cook/ bake them
* Read recipes from cookbooks and make them
* Write the family dinner menu (daily/ weekly)
* Write family grocery list
* Help find/ read foods off grocery list at the store
* Write a "treasure hunt" of the the house, yard, etc and you [the parent] follow it to the "treasure
   (or do scavenger hunt) 
* Become pen pals with family members/ friends who live elsewhere.
* Get magazine subscriptions for them to read
* Play reading/ writing computer, video games
* Write their birthday or holiday wish list
* Play games with sight word, word phrase flash cards (concentration games, travel,
   create-a-sentence, etc)
* Write and read Hangman/ Wheel of Fortune games
* Read street signs, restaurant signs, store signs,etc while driving/ riding in a car
* Have entire family have a 15-20 minutes "quiet reading time" everyday. All members read
   something of their choice.
* Play board games where they have to read the instructions to know what to do  or make words
   (Fluxx, Monopoly, Upwords/ Scrabble/ Boggle, etc)
  
Math: 
* Count money out when shopping/ purchasing item(s)
* Create time schedule for after school, the weekly schedule, school schedule, sports/ activities
* Measure while cooking
* Measure household items around your home
* Flash Cards (addition, subtraction, time, money, fractions, shapes, multiplication, division, etc)
* Food Math- counting, adding, subtracting, etc with various food items (candy, cereal, fruit, etc)
* Make monthly calenders
* Map trips- follow along as you take your family trip. Discuss directions (N,S,E,W),
   miles per hour, etc)
* Interact in math computer games
* Graph the weather
* Measure the temperature daily with thermometer
* Create a savings account
* Weigh different objects around the house
* Look for patterns in every day living.
* Make math an important tool around your house. Promote it as fun detective work.

The Responsibility Experiment

Yesterday I worked on a project...

Of making this:

Into this:

















Why? Because I got tired of my kids not doing what they should do everyday [especially without me reminding them]. Now they can just look at the board and see what they need to do that day. Whatever kid does the chore slides it over to done (or in D's case we just move the D from the bottom to the top), and they get credit. Small sticker for 1 chore; medium sticker for 2 chores; and big sticker for 3 chores. They can do some of them more than once a day, and they can do the ones on the bottom (not shown) for extra credit. They can do as many chores as they want and get as many stickers as they want. (We have them put the stickers on a sheet and when it's full they get a $1 toy). So it's super cost effective.

They do have the bare minimums that they have to do before they get game time. They have to do homework; read; and done at least one other chore. And I kept out some of the behavior ones because let's face it, they have behaviors I want to eliminate. Right now it's on "stop whining" 3/4 of my kids whined VERY little yesterday so they got it.

So day one (yesterday) was a success: Anya did 7/8 chore; Bridgette did 5/8 (not bad considering she's sick); Leilani did 5/8 (better than it's been in the past); and even my little Dete (who's 2) did a couple chores [okay one of those was not whining, but I'll take it!] I hope it keeps going!