Introducing: Expedition with plurals App!

Teaching grammar could be very difficult and drill drill drill.  I was fortunate to be provided with a copy of the Expedition with plurals app but the thoughts are all mine!

Using an app to teach regular and irregular plural nouns will make this concept fun to learn!  Virtual Speech Center Inc., the developers, thought of all ways we teach this concept and incorporated it into this app.

There are several settings that you can change for your students.  You can select how many trials before the users are switched, if the correct answers are shown, if the text is provided, automatic paging, and audio.  I think it is great to turn the automatic paging off which allows time to review and discuss.  If your students are learning to read, it may be great to show the text to match it with the audio for reinforcement.  If you don't want your students looking for the final -s and want them to listen for it, you may want to turn it off!

You can select the plural pairs to work with.  I think it  is important to select 10 at a time to teach and review.  I would not add to the list until your students have mastered them!  You can choose from regular or irregular plurals.  Only once fully mastered would I use mixed.

There are 5 activities you can do with these plural pairs.

Auditory Bombardment: this is great for teaching and reviewing the plurals.  The students are presented with a strategy for understanding: one vs. a lot.  By turning off automatic page turning, it allows time for students to repeat!

Picture Identification: This makes selecting the named picture more exciting then using printable visuals.  Students are presented with a verbal and/or visual directive to select the named picture.  They must understand if it is "one" or "a lot" to know which one to select.  A score is generated by correct and incorrect responses.  The scores are saved in the app for progress monitoring.  Bonus, you can email the reports!

Fill In:  Students are presented with a sentence visually and/or orally and they must select the appropriate word.  They must understand what makes a noun plural or not in order to achieve this goal.  They also must understand what the answer looks like (better for readers to use this activity).  Again, scores are generated and a report is saved and can be emailed.

Make Up Sentences: This activity works to improve expressive vocabulary.  Students are required to use the target in a sentence.  You can score for them, or they can select.  You can record the students' sentences and replay for self assessment!  How great?!  Again, scores are generated and a report is saved and can be emailed.

Memory Game: I love a game!  This is great to use a reward for a job well done!  You must use at least 6 plural pairs.  Students play a classic game of memory looking for 1 singular and 1 plural for a "match."  Scores are generated as well and can be saved/emailed.

Things I like about this app:
-Ability to collect data per student to be saved and emailed.  Great for progress monitoring.
-Ability to change settings for individualization.
-Multiple activities to address the various ways to present, teach, and review concept.

Things I would like to see in a future update:
-Fun animation as a reinforcer for correct responses

As you can tell, I don't have many negatives to say about this app!  The developers thought of what would help SLPs teach this concept!  When using this app with a student, I felt it was helpful to have a visual to remind them of the difference between singular and plural.  I took the strategy taught in the auditory bombardment activity to create one. 

I felt this was helpful to teach and remind students of the difference.  You can download a copy of this visual here!

Want to learn more?  Visit iTunes here!