PhonoPix For iOS Devices

RinnApps has announced the release of PhonoPix for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. PhonoPix is a phonological app and the companion to our successful articulation app called ArtikPix. In response to user requests, Jason Rinn, software engineer and co-creator, says, "Since ArtikPix was released, our users have been asking for a phonological app with minimal pairs. So, we sought to deliver a high-quality app that would meet their demands."

The app has flashcard and matching activities with minimal pairs to contrast children's incorrect responses with the target responses. Example minimal pairs include "tea" and "key," "ton" and "sun," "bee" and "beach," and many more. PhonoPix features 10 decks with 40 minimal pairs in each (400 total pairs) for the following phonological processes: prevocalic voicing, word final devoicing, final consonant deletion, fronting (palatal and velar), marked blend reduction, unmarked blend reduction, gliding ("l" and "r" sounds), stopping, backing (palatal and velar), and initial consonant deletion. The app provides more content with higher interactivity than traditional minimal pair cards.

PhonoPix is for use with children who have significant speech difficulties with several sounds. The app allows the user to focus on correcting speech errors associated with sound production in targeted word positions (e.g. final consonant deletion) or manners of articulation (e.g. fricatives). For example, children who present errors in final consonant deletion will omit the end sounds in words. As a result, these children will be unable to produce several different sounds in the final word position. They will need a therapy solution that is more robust than a simple articulation product. While ArtikPix is suited for children who struggle to produce the "ch" sound at the end of a word, PhonoPix is appropriate for children who struggle to produce any sounds at the end of words.


It is also important that children with significant speech difficulties understand the meaning of what they are saying when they incorrectly produce the target word. By using minimal pairs, children see an image reflective of the meaning of the word they are saying and can see the comparison to the target word they are unable to produce. This allows them to contrast the incorrect production with the correct production.

In PhonoPix, children view the minimal pairs in double-sided flashcards by flicking through an album and tapping an around button. In the matching activity, children match the minimal pairs in three different levels: easy with 3 pairs, medium with 6 pairs, and hard with 10 pairs. During the flashcard and matching activities, children practice by listening to the recorded audio, recording their voice to self-monitor, and collecting scores (aka data). Scores are collected only for the cards representing the target response. The scores are then saved in the app or exported with information regarding the phonological process practiced.

PhonoPix makes practicing phonological processes a fun activity to improve children's speech development. Children like the interactive nature of the app. They enjoy the various gestures including flicking through the cards and tapping to flip them over. Eric Sailers, speech-language pathologist and co-creator, has noticed this when his students say, "This is so much better than regular cards." Meanwhile, children gain educational value from the built-in features of the app, such as recorded audio, voice recording, and data collection. Children are able to hear the recorded audio and compare it to their own recording of the word. This allows them to self-monitor their productions and make progress towards the target words. PhonoPix allows children to see their own progress during the activities and over time.

Pricing and Availability:
PhonoPix - Full 1.0 is available on the iTunes App Store for an introductory price of $24.99 USD).


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