Brain-Go! is a categorization app that tells the child, “Put the object that does not belong into the trash can.” This is good exposure to the categorical exclusion concept “does not belong.” There are opportunities for the child to talk about why the selection does not belong and what is the name of the category for the objects that do go together. Discussion of similarities and differences is another option when using this app. The pictures are photos of real objects. There are 10 levels to this app. I spoke with the developer, a teacher/tutor, about the additional levels. She said that they are similar in difficulty to the first level. She said that the tenth level is more difficult. The idea of the different levels is to provide additional practice to children who need help with categorization.
Ages: 3-6 for the first level
Cost: The first level is free. The other 10 levels can be purchased for $1.99.
Rating: ++
Developer: Brain-Go
Clean Up: Category Sorting displays either a toy, food or article of clothing in the middle of the screen. At the bottom of the screen are a basket, toy box and closet. The child needs to determine if the object appearing on the screen goes into the basket, toy box or closet. The child drags the object into one of the three. A happy face star briefly appears if the object has been correctly place before a new object appears. The app provides a score of percentage correctly sorted in the upper right hand corner of the screen and in a window once the game has ended. This app also provides vocabulary opportunities in the form of object naming before it is sorted.
Ages: 3-5
Cost: free until January/February at which time the apps will be updated.
Rating: ++
Developer: Different Roads to Learning
MyFirstApp created Families 1 and Families 2. They were reviewed August 26, 2011 in Categories, Opposites and More.
Next blog: Reasoning Skills—Associations
Reasoning Skills— Categorization
About the Author: Mirla G. Raz
I am an Arizona licensed speech pathologist and am certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. I have been in private practice for over 30 years working extensively with children who have speech and language problems. I received my Master’s degree from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. After graduation, I decided that I need sun and warmth and so headed south to work for the Volusia County Schools in Daytona Beach Florida. The next year I moved to California where I was offered a job working for the Los Angeles Unified School District in the severe oral language handicapped program. My next move was to UCLA where I worked in the department of Clinical Linguistics at the Neuropsychiatric Institute. In 1981, I moved to Arizona where I went into private practice. It gives me tremendous satisfaction to know that I have helped hundreds of children gain normal speech and language skills.
