{App Review} Comprehension Builder

Screen Shot 2015-02-08 at 9.55.02 AM

I was contacted by Heidi Maloney, who created Comprehension Builder with Abitalk. This app is available via the app store and is $7.99. Comprehension Builder teaches kids how to construct simple sentences with color-coded parts. It also can be used to work on answering WH questions.

Below is what the home screen looks like. Here you are able to select between Level 1, 2, and 3.

IMG_1421

When you select a level, you can then choose the type of sentence you want to target. This is awesome, because you can really hone in on where the student is having the most difficulty.

IMG_1413

Level 1 – color-coded sentence parts with color-coded matching areas to drag sentence parts in making sentences. The student is shown a picture, then asked a series of questions, based on the sentence type you chose. After each question, the student selects the part of the sentence that answers the question.

IMG_1414

Then the student is asked to make a sentence. The parts are color-coded, which visually helps the student put the sentence in order.

IMG_1415

After the student makes the sentence, you can have the him/her record the sentence. This is a great way to get further practice with creating sentences with correct grammar. After that, There is a reinforcer screen that shows up for 10 seconds. You can touch the screen and bubbles appear.

IMG_1416
Level 2 – This level is similar to the first, except there is no color-coding when you’re asked to make the sentence.

IMG_1418
Level 3 – Each word is presented separately, without color-coding, for the highest level of difficulty in constructing a sentence. There is a clue as to the first word in the sentence because it is capitalized. I love that punctuation is also included, because that’s a great reminder for writing.

IMG_1419

What I Like:

-There are 3 levels, which makes it easy to adapt to wherever your students might be functioning

-I like that you can select different types of sentences based on what your student needs to work on

-Record feature helps students get even more practice with producing complete sentences

-I like that the student has to answer questions prior to making the sentence. It gives you practice with WH questions!!

What I Would Love To See:

-There really isn’t anything I would change about this app!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of the app; however the views expressed are solely my own!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *