Between the Lines Level 1
Between the Lines Level 1 gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Between the Lines Level 1 helps kids practice social inference, or "reading between the lines," by interpreting body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Kids with autism spectrum disorder or other kids who have trouble reading social cues are likely to get the most out of it. The situations are presented in video clips but shouldn't be used as social modeling, as some clips model rude behavior like interrupting conversations. Parents can see data and customize the number of selections kids can choose. Periodically, there are games kids can play that serve as rewards; the games aren't related to the learning content.What kids can learn
This beautifully designed app integrates the use of voice and videos to help kids understand facial expressions, idioms, and vocal intonations. The choice of three reward games might keep kids motivated and coming back to play more, though the games are separate from the learning content.
Between the Lines Level 1 is a safe way for kids to use inference around social situations, and that safety might encourage learning. Analyzing interactions out of context might be difficult for some kids, so some supervision and discussion will extend the reach of the skills kids learn. Also, you can customize the settings by choosing two to four possible answers, depending on skill level.
A demo shows how to use the features, and answers to common questions are included in the help section. Parents can also receive progress reports.
What's it about?
BETWEEN THE LINES LEVEL 1 helps kids understand common expressions, body language, and facial expressions as they watch and hear clips that sound like everyday life. Kids can choose a setting -- restaurant, store, park, party, etc. -- and view a clip that depicts a social interaction. Sometimes the clips show rude behavior, like interrupting. Kids then decipher who's talking, what he/she is thinking, and what's really being said. Selecting from a few possible responses, kids have to use all of the information available to decide which is the best answer. There are also reward games that kids can play periodically, like Dunk Tank, Knock 'em Down, and Bull's Eye. Feedback and reports can be customized.
Is it any good?
Between the Lines Level 1 is great to use with kids who are struggling with auditory processing and pragmatic language issues. Learning common expressions can be especially challenging for some kids; using video clips of social interactions allows kids to relate to a variety of everyday situations. Between the Lines Level 1 gives kids the opportunity to see and hear everyday language as they learn to understand how to be successful in their everyday lives. It's unlikely that kids will get lost in the reward games, but they might need supervision to make sure they don't lose focus.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about why people sometimes don't say exactly what they mean. What are idioms? What is sarcasm, and how can you tell when someone is being sarcastic?
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Role play some of the situations shown in the videos for practice, and then make up your own.
App details
| Device: | iPad |
| Price: | $15.99 |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | November 4, 2013 |
| Category: | Education |
| Size: | 195.00 MB |
| Publisher: | Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language & Auditory Development |
| Version: | 1.4 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 5.0 or later |
