App Review: Word Retrieval

Today we have a guest post from a friend and colleague of mine...  

Hi! I'm Jenn Malloy and I would like to thank Carrie for giving me the opportunity to write a review for a fantastic app! I'm currently a SLP that works in a school system as well as home health care. Carrie told me I would be reviewing an app titled  "Word Retrieval" from Virtual Speech Center Inc. The app was easy to navigate and can be used with almost ALL of my students/clients.

After selecting the "Info" tab on the home screen, directions and a description of the app are on display. The reporting feature is one of my favorite aspects of the app. I am able to e-mail myself the results directly to track student/client progress. 

Once "start" is selected, the first prompt the app asks is to add students and also select the "flashcard" or "game." The flashcard setting is used to teach the concepts. It is in flashcards section where students are able to learn and practice target skills. Seven expressive language skills are targeted including:

1) Confrontational Naming

2) Sentence completion

3) Antonyms

4) Associations

5) Convergent naming

6) Definitions

7) Divergent Naming

Adding & selecting students

Confrontation Naming

Definitions

The game feature is a Jeopardy like trivia game. Students select the amount of points (100-700) and the corresponding trivia questions is read. The game provides both verbal and written supports for the student to answer the posed question. A green check mark and a red "x" are on the screen to track progress. 

At the end of the game, student/client progress is tracked and there is an option to e-mail the results. This is a great tool for me because I typically take groups of 4-5 students at a time and keeping track of progress can take time and energy away from therapy. I have more time to focus on the students and am less worried about tracking data!

Session Report

My thoughts: I LOVE this app. I use it interchangeably between school and my clients after school.  I am able to find a target for at least ONE of the student/client’s goals. I use it with clients who have aphasia, student’s with expressive language disorders, and client/students who experience dysfluencies during speech. There are not many apps that are this flexible with so many options. I highly recommend this app because it is like carrying seven decks of cards in your speech bag and it is all in one app! I also LOVE the Jeopardy format, it keeps kids and clients involved and engaged. As a clinician, you know you have a great tool when it can be utilized between such differing age groups!

~Jenn

 Thanks, Jenn!  You can find Word Retrieval in the App Store for $9.99.

Disclaimer:  Although Beata from Virtual Speech Center offered a code of Word Retrieval, the opinions expressed are those of the SLP who provided this review.