Word lists with audio so child can hear and/or read words
Sound lists with audio so child can hear and/or read individual phonemes
Fat Cat App is designed to teach early reading (consonant-vowel-consonant with short vowels. With the purchase of Fat Cat App, parents, teachers, and therapists can download a free teaching manual (supporting research and suggested activities and worksheets). Fat Cat App Home Version is the same as the Fat Cat App but without the record-keeping. Fat Cat App Home addresses early reading through phonemic awareness and phonics as well as providing auditory bombardment of sounds for speech students. In addition to teaching phonemic awareness and reading, it can be used to address other skills; i.e. articulation, English as a second language (hearing the English sounds and words repeatedly), spelling, and left-to-right visual tracking.
Additional practice is provided with a sound/word chart that allows the child to hear the individual sounds and then the words.
Fat Cat App teaches both phonemic awareness and phonics simultaneously. The words are in chains in which only one sound is changed at a time. The words may or may not rhyme. The important aspect is that the student learns to become aware of these single changes. An example of a 5 set chain is “mad – mat – bat – bit – sit”.
Repetition is important for learning. Fat Cat App repeats the three sounds in each word (as the student touches the letters – active learning) two times. The word is then spoken 3 times after the sounds have been combined into a word. Then the student is tested on reading the words by touching the word named.
Skills addressed:
Reading: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Articulation through auditory bombardment of sounds
English as a Second Language
Spelling
There are many causes of reading difficulties and Fat Cat App is designed to address only a few of these. And, there are many methodologies to remediate the different reading weaknesses. No technology can address all the causes of reading difficulties. If you feel your child may be dyslexic or have reading problems that cannot be ameliorated, it is best to seek the advice of a reading specialist.
Design and content: SpeechPathologyApps.com
Artwork: Brenda Bennett and additional pictures by Joan L. McShane
Development: James Rouse of Exceptional Speech Products
Voice-over: Myrna Cabello
OTHER APPLICATIONS: We appreciate your consideration of all our applications – Tea Time, Cake Time, Bedtime, Sleep Time, I Can Say, and Baby Bunny Bouncing Ball, Bats in the Cave. We are also developing Fat Cat App Home Version (no record