How to Optimise iPad use
iPads are great. Does every child need an iPad to succeed in school today? Absolutely not. But if you’ve got one, why not encourage your child to use it for more than Minecraft and Instagram. There are so many fantastic apps out there, with new ones appearing on the market daily. It’s impossible to stay on top of the latest releases. However, there are a few factors to consider when choosing an app. Let’s take a look at which iPad Apps are good for Speech Therapy.
Choosing an iPad App
Consider word of mouth recommendations, but remember, just because a friend loved the cute graphics it does not mean that the app will give your child maximum learning benefits.
Price. Expensive educational iPad Apps do not always provide value for money when it comes to educational opportunities for your child. Try a ‘lite’ version of an app to see if it suits your needs before investing in the more expensive ‘full’ version.
Read the reviews. How many people have rated the app? Has anyone experienced annoying glitches and have these been fixed by recent updates?
iPad Apps from well respected educational publishers are often excellent. Make sure you try the lite version to see if the app will meet your needs before spending the money on a full version.
Consider your child’s interests. They will develop their favourites and often stick to the same apps. Just because you spend the money on a great educational app does not mean that your child will want to play it.
For older children, consider introducing them to some of the great organizational apps. iPad Apps which help them to maintain a diary, keep ‘to-do’ lists, plan their study, use mind maps etc can be a great start to developing good study habits.
iPad Apps will never replace personal Speech Pathology intervention. Great apps can assist your child in learning a concept or developing one specific skill, however this will never be a sufficient substitute for a professional, personal intervention plan which is tailored to an individual’s needs. Your Speech Pathologist will be able to recommend and guide you to the apps which will complement their therapy programme and build your child’s skills.
Newcastle Speech Pathology specializes in providing all our clients with a high quality, personal service which is designed to build on our client’s strengths, and develop skills in their areas of need. Contact Newcastle Speech Pathology today to find out more about our professional, personalized service.
Check out our recent post Do iPads Cause Speech and Language Delays?
Written by Bec Speech Pathologist Newcastle Speech Pathology