For those who use iPod/iPad apps, or any other learning programmes or apps (eg phonics stuff, reading/spelling bits and pieces)

[silverfrog]

What do you like about them?

And what annoys you about them?

Is there anything you would like to see catered for that isn't, currently (ie programmes are too basic/too hard/skip huge sections that our children are unlikely to be able to learn for themselves etc)

dd1 uses my ipod a lot, and has just started using an ipad at school. she loves it, and it is very intuitive for her to use (she struggled a LOT with the connection between mouse and cursor, which is why we have gone down the ipad route)

I have a number of apps for her, most of which are useful up to a point.

BUT they skip form very basic "learn alphabet" types (and mostly they are teaching the names of the letters, not the phonics, which is a bummer) to full on spelling apps, with nothing in between

so, seeing as I have a bit of time on my hands at the moment, I thuoght I'd have a play around (don't hold your breath, I have never done anything like this before, but there's nothing like wanting to help your chidlren to motivate! )

and who better to ask than people who may be using similar things, for similar reasons?

For reading I'd love a simple blending application, something like Alphablocks with English phonics rather than US letter names. Ideally with a tracing programme (letters, CVC words and simple (animal for ds as he is obsessed) pictures) - where you could increase the skill level - lots of the fine motor apps ds uses require too much accuracy & he gets discouraged. Preferably errorless with no reinforcement of incorrect answers (I like the way Mousetrial prompts but doesn't reinforce - most of the educational apps we have have funny noises or animations when an answer is wrong).

I've been nagging dh to develop my ideal phonics programme but he doesn't have the time. Also plotting a maths - one to one correspondence & addition/subtraction app.

thanks, phlebas

I had thought about asking my brother to do it, but by the time I'd explained all the don't reinforce/don't have too many confusing graphics or sudden noises/make sure the point of the exercise is obvious then it'd be just as quick to do it myslef

yes, i get annoyed with the reinforcing of errors too, and the american accents on everythign (not the worst thing that could happen, but f they are then using letter names as well, it isn't much use!)

I have quite a good phonics blending app for dd1, but the screen is hopeless - too much going on, not at all clear what she is supposed to do etc - this is the one that prompted me, tbh. it si so nearly there - proper phonics, building up and blending the first sight words. but then fails on the reinforcement and cluttered fronts

I want an app where you can add word tiles to photos, for eg a photo of dd1 eating her lunch, where you could add tiles with "dd1" "eating" "a" "sandwich" for dd1 to rearrange into a sentence.

easily customisable wrt words used is another bugbear of mine - there's not many apps out there that contain a lot of "useful" words for dd1 to learn to spell/recognise/read

do you use an ipod, or an ipad? dd1 struggled a lot with the fine motor stuff on my ipod, but is doing a bit better on her ipad now (althoguh it is only new, so not fully tested this yet)

We only have an iPhone atm but really want to get him an iPad. He has great technical skills (can use touch screen, mouse, mouse pad, DS, wii etc) and for academic stuff it is a hugely reinforcing medium for him; we're lucky that he generalises without any difficulty. It's the only way we can get him to show any interest in DTTs for example - he's done pretty much all his LR/FFC stuff on the iphone/computer which is great because it frees up session time for social/play skills & we can move straight on intraverbals.

There's a collage app - Faces iMake - which he loves & has made a massive difference to his awareness of faces generally (eye contact didn't use to be a problem but as his language improved we've started getting reduced eye contact (I'm sure to avoid demand)).

Pocketphonics is quite a good app for letters etc, if that helps :) regularly gets updated and you can up skills levels on it etc.

Thanks, mummyeme. I think pocketphonics is the one I mentioned below. It is great in that the phones are accurate, but I don't think it is very well laid out. I tested it on dh to see if it was me being fussy, and he couldn't work out what to do at all! (he is not a gamer at all, clearly, but that makes him a good tester for me from dd1's pov - she cannot intuitively grasp things either)

I think with some tweaking it would work, but of course I am approaching this from a very specific angle - SN teaching, rather than NT brushing up of what has already been taught.