As I was playing around on the iPad I found the app iWriteWords. This app allows the user to use their finger to trace around letters to make words. It repeats each sound of the letter after you traced it and then at the end of the word it sounds out each letter and then says the word out loud. After the word is said there is a picture that comes up that matches the word written. I am curious to know if there is a pen for iPad where a student could hold and trace letters using that instead of their finger. This would provide better practice with holding a pen or pencil correctly instead of just using your finger to trace the words.
I liked this app very much because I thought about how I could have used it with a student I taught during student teaching who had down syndrome. She needed a lot of help on writing her letters, but was also working on sounding out words and writing words (site words). I think this app would help her with all of those things at one time.
I played around with that app a little too! I agree, I think that app would be a great tool to use with the student who had down syndrome. It would also work great in kindergarten classroom when students are getting to know all the letters of the alphabet. In the kindergarten class I helped out in, they used wooden blocks to make the letters then traced the shape of the letter with their fingers. While this method gets the job done, I think the iPad would be much more effective and engaging for students. The fact that the app says the sound of the letter after it is traced makes it even better.
ReplyDeleteThis app would have been great to use with some of my level 1 ELL students! When students are learning a second (and sometimes third) language they often have a hard time learning the sounds to letters and have to start at the very basics. I worked a lot with a fourth grade boy, who could almost read a level A book, on sounding out words and then blending the sounds to make a word.
ReplyDeleteThe addition of a picture at the end of each word is awesome! My ELL students get to the point where they can read words but they have no idea what the word they read is. If the students began reading with this app and got the additional support of pictures they would be at a great advantage.
Thanks for sharing Melanie!
This is a nice little app! By the way, there are pens for the ipad. Just google ipad pen and you'll see many options!
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