Click to Read - Aimee Solutions #spedchat #spedtech

I have written before about Aimee Solutions and love all the products they have offered.  While they continue to offer their Take and Teach Language kits, they are adding more to their catalog.  These ladies who are a technology facilitator, speech therapists and an occupational therapist in a Chicagoland special education cooperative have outdone themselves with their new offering - Click to Read!


The Click to Read series is a set of early literacy programs available for use on your computer.  Each CD contains 4 stories centered around a topic.  These stories can be read, interacted with, retold, and expanded upon with games and other materials.  They also include printable materials for you to use off-line.  The programs are written to be used with students from pre-K to high school and beyond.  They have tons of options for switch access (both automatic and step scanning), P.A.C.T. highlighting, feedback for switch access, and much more.



The programs also include several different levels for retelling from simple fill in the blank to recreating the story page by page.  The games can be set to different levels like picture matching, word to picture matching or reading words.  All games include audio prompts and corrective feedback when needed.



There are 3 different Click to Read programs to choose from:



Animal Habitats

• The Desert - Animals, birds and plants that live in the Southwest Desert
• A Home in the Forest - Animals that live in the forest and where they make their homes
• Pond Life - Animals, insects and plants found in the pond habitat; focus on prepositions "in, on, around"
• Ocean Creatures - Familiar ocean inhabitants; 1:1 correspondence through 5

All About Me

• I am Me - all about self awareness & qualities that make us unique
• How Do You Feel - Real life examples of activities & interactions that make us happy, sad, mad & excited
• Using my 5 Senses - Making Kool-Aid is used to teach students about the 5 senses
• Looking Good - personal grooming and hygiene

Life Skills

• Ben Goes Shopping - Help Ben find what store to buy items at
• Community Signs - Signs found in the community and what they mean
• What Time is it? - Time of day and common activities associated with each
• How Much is it Worth? - Introduction to money values, saving and spending

I have to say that I have used both All About Me and Life Skills with my students, and they love them. The stories have predictable phrases and engage the students from the start.  They especially enjoy retelling them.  The programs can be used on any computer, but excel on a SMART Board, Promethean, or other touch screen.  They become so much more interactive and the students really get into the stories and activities.  I highly recommend these programs!

Check out all the Take and Teach Language Kits & Click to Read programs at Aimee Solutions.

-  Patrick

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"Listen & Learn" Feature of National Geographic's Young Explorer! magazine #edtech #spedtech #elemchat #IWB

Do you teach preschool or lower elementary grades?  If so, be sure to check out the "Listen & Read" of National Geographic's Young Explorer! magazine.  This feature include audio narration as well as word-by-word highlighting!  This feature is available for issues from September 2009 to present.  There is also a printable Teacher's Guide available for each issue with lesson plans, discussion questions, and student printables.  Young Explorer! would be a great whole class activity using an interactive whiteboard!

-  Jeremy

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#AppMondayTAS - The Knowledge Castle apps by @ununbox #edapp #IEAR

Knowledge Castle by Ununbox is an interactive encyclopedia designed exclusively for kids.  The Knowledge Castle apps provide children with a broad variety of knowledge, easy to read information, interest-oriented content, and most importantly, interactive games that keep them engaged.

There are currently three Knowledge Castle apps available:

              

1.  TRANSPORTATION - The Train  (iTunes App Store | $1.99)

This app tells children the history of the train from the 18th Century to the present in story format.

     

2.  NATURAL SCIENCE - Lightning and thunder  (iTunes App Store | $1.99)

This app helps children learn about the natural phenomena of lightning and thunder, as well as electricity.

        

3.  ASTRONOMY The Sun and the Earth  (iTunes App Store | $1.99).

This story starts from the birth of the earth to humans never-ending exploration of the earth, then tells the shape and size of planets, as well as the distribution of four oceans and seven continents.  Moreover, this story tells more about the Sun and the Earth, they are the most important two planets for human beings, such as the relation between the Sun and the Earth, rotation and revolution, the day and night caused by the Earth’s rotation.

        

Features of The Knowledge Castle apps:

• Educational facts are presented in a story format
• Pictures and layout are highly interactive
• Each story is followed by creative games, the purpose being to get children involved in learning
• Easy to play, as interface similar to video games
• Children can choose to be different characters
• Progress is saved before quitting the app and reloaded the next time
• Built-in reward system to encourage growth
  
• Sound effects and background music can be adjusted through "Options"

FREE app (for limited time)!!
For a limited time (until 09/05), the developer has reduced The Train app to FREE!!  Download The Train app via the iTunes App Store.


Promo Codes Giveaway:

The developer has also given us 3 promo codes for The Sun and the Earth and 2 promo codes for Lightning and thunder  to giveaway.  To win a promo code for either of these Knowledge Castle apps:

1. Follow @Ununbox and tweet about this promo code giveaway "I just entered promo code giveaway for Knowledge Castle apps by @ununbox. You should too! #B2SAppSpecials #TeachingAll "

2. Like Ununbox on Facebook and mention this #B2SAppSpecials promo code giveaway on the Teaching All blog.

3. Comment below and suggest another topic for Ununbox to consider for a future Knowledge Castle app.

Winners be announced later this week in a comment below.  Good luck!!

 -  Jeremy

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They Might Be Giants Friday Night Family Podcast-Update

I'm excited to announce that a commenter noted that this podcast is not done and gone!  In preparation for the release of their upcoming science CD/DVD (Here Comes Science) they will begin doing the podcast.  In August you can expect new episodes to be posted.  Make sure to subscribe today so you don't miss an episode!


Patrick


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They Might Be Giants - Science

I was reading about a new CD that will be coming out by They Might Be Giants. I'll admit I haven't listened to them in quite a while, but have always loved their music. So this CD is different and I actually think I'll get it! It's called Here Comes Science. In reading about this I found out that TMBG has started doing kids music (a great genre for them) and have 3 other CD/DVD combos - Here Come the 123's, Here Come the ABC's, and No!. Now they've added Here Comes Science to the mix.

Wired Magazines, GeekDad reviewed the CD/DVD combo here. And even includes a track list for the upcoming release. Danny over at The Whiteboard Blog talks about the CD as well, and give some ideas for songs that teach science concepts and are fun to listen to (think Particle Man!). I think this CD with included DVD will delight and educate many a child. It releases September 1, but you can pre-order on Amazon.com today!

Patrick

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FREE Unique Learning Summer Curriculum

Readers of this blog might remember that I've talked about News-2-You before. They also have a curriculum called the Unique Learning System. The Unique Learning System is a thematic curriculum with reading, math, science & social science standards built into it. They have included multiple bands, i.e. grade levels, to facilitate teaching multiple groups of students. And they are giving away their summer curriculum for free! You can download the free curriculum from here:

Summer Curriculum

Patrick

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