App Review- SpeakColorsHD (RWH Technology)

 

SpeakColorsHD by RWH Technology (iPad, $3.99 at time of review)
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SpeakColorsHD is an app that teaches colors through real picture use. It is also great for teaching adjective+ noun phrases yellow car, red cup, as well as simple sentences The flower is orange. The pen is black. A new update has introduced even more sentence frames! The premise is you tap a color from a row of colors at the top of the screen, and two pictures will be displayed- a color, and object matching that color. The pictures will speak when you tap them, and the child can scroll through the colors or objects by tapping them. You can use the default mode, with a pre-recorded voice, or set your own voice as the default. There is a phrase mode or sentence mode. The child can also use the record feature to record himself saying the phrase or sentence displayed on the screen.

I have tried SpeakColorsHD with my SEEC(Special Education Early Childhood) preschoolers at two different sites- these are 3-5 year olds working on color identification and/or using 2-4 word phrases/sentences. I had three concerns that I shared with the developer, and am happy to say one of those concerns is being addressed in a future update, and the other two are being considered. If this looks like something your child or student could benefit from, you may want to consider purchasing this before the price goes up (If it does at all- I am only speculating that it might given the added features.)

 

FYI:  SpeakColorsHD has been totally revamped! The latest update is terrific, and has definitely addressed these concerns! I use this app much more often.   I really love the new sentence structures added as well!

 

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Picture Advancing-
One of my students will hardly sit still, and he did tolerate several minutes of play and was imitating some words with prompting as well. Another preschooler was fascinated by the combination of the pictures and voicing of labels.

Recording-
I love this feature and I have had success with reluctant students wanting to speak the words to hear their voices recorded- it is very motivating.  I would love to have a student go through the cards, recording his voice for each set. Then I would like him to be able to listen to his voice. I see you can do this in setup mode if I have him record as the default voice, but then that would only save one student's recordings and my sample recordings would be lost. I want something that could be accessed for each student through the play mode. The app also comes with prerecorded voices for each picture- you can choose from a male or female voice.

Add Your Own Images-
SpeakColorsHD uses real pictures, which I love. I feel real pictures are grasped more easily by my students, and am happy to see them as the central feature of SpeakColorsHD. I am happy to report you can also now add your own pictures;  you can check out Speech Cards Professional if you want tracking features for multiple students! I love this as we can use familiar objects of my students'- their favorite colors of M&Ms, their own lunchboxes, the shirt they are wearing that day etc.

SpeakColorsHD is a good app for use with language delayed children.  Due to its customization features, it is easy to use with a variety of students. Kudos to the developer for being open to changes- the app has evolved and is a favorite for my "speech therapy app tool box."