Everyone loves a good story, especially kids! Not everyone loves to create or write a story, however.
Enter StoryBuilder!
Story Builder is an app for iPhones, newer iPod touches, and iPads. From the App Store:
StoryBuilder is designed to help children accomplish the following goals: 1) Improve paragraph formation; 2) Improve integration of ideas; and 3) Improve higher level abstractions by inference. Extensive use of audio clips promotes improved auditory processing for special needs children with autism spectrum disorders or sensory processing disorders. Story Builder offers a rich and fun environment for improving the ability to create a narrative.
Story Builder has three levels of play with options for reinforcement and help built into each level. Stories are created through pictures, questions, and sentence starters (if you choose). In Levels 1 and 2, children are prompted with questions about the picture they see, in order to create a complete story. In Level 3, children are given the chance to view the picture and create the story on their own. There is an option to save the story by emailing it to a parent.
We used Story Builder with our youngest–a 5th grader. At first, she was a little hesitant about speaking the sentences and having it record her voice. After I demonstrated it, however, she agreed to try it. I left her in her room with the door closed (she was embarrassed to have anyone hear her.) I lost track of time, and when I realized she was still in her room, about 45 minutes had gone by. She was still creating stories! Sadly, she didn’t choose the option of emailing any of them, so I didn’t get to hear them.
Now, when I ask her if she’d like to work on more stories, she readily agrees. I think the combination of using the technology of the iPhone and the creative thinking challenge of the app itself is an attractive one. We have incorporated this app into our language arts time.
Story Builder is available for $5.99 in the App Store. If you would like to read more reviews of Story Builders, please visit the TOS Review site! Click on the button below to get there.
(The legal stuff: I was given a complementary download of this app for an honest review.)
Congrats on your first review!! You are going to love being on the crew!!!
Cool app! I imagine for Audio Learners, this is an amazing tool for them. I’ll have to remember it if we ever get an ipad or similar. 🙂 Great review, Lisa! Happy Saturday 🙂
Looks like a good way to get the creativity brewing. Thank for sharing.
this sounds really cool. I would love to add this to our summer schedule. thank you!
We’re going to keep using it over the summer!