Sentence Mosaics

Developed by Alyse O. Baker, CCC-SLP, with members of the Design for America chapter at Carnegie Mellon University. This app is intended to be used on an iPad to allow sufficient space for sentence creation, though it also is completely functional on an iPhone. The purpose of this app is to assist students in their formulation of novel, complete, and meaningful spoken sentences produced in context with a photograph or illustration and with a language “coach” (speech-language therapist, teacher, parent, tutor, etc.) to assist in facilitating correct syntax. Students who can profit from the app include regular education students in Language Arts at the elementary level, Tier II Reading or English students at the middle school level, ELL (English Language Learners) students at any level, speech- language students with receptive and expressive language needs at any level, students whose hearing loss has impacted language skills, and Learning Support students who have written language goals. In addition, the program can be of benefit to adults post-CVA (cerebrovascular accident/stroke) with aphasia and adults with dementia for whom familiar pictures can be a key to memory retention. The use of photos taken on an iPad or iPhone and then imported into the app (prior to guiding the child/student/client to formulate a complete thought) allows for highly specific individualization. Across the age range from pediatric to geriatric, the majority of individuals respond well to photos of the people (including photos of themselves, of course), animals, places, and events to whom or to which they have a strong connection. Program development & implementation: Alyse O. Baker, CCC-SLP, Wexford, PA. Program designers through Design for America: Heidi (Jackie) Kang, Christie Chang, Ashley Lai, Elizabeth Board, Ambika Chetal, Mehar Sawhney, Eddie Dryer, Sashank Gogula, Elizabeth La, Sabrina Zhai, and Jennifer Chou at Carnegie- Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Oversight: Dr. David Kosbie, Carnegie-Mellon University Initial Liaison: Dr. Stephen Pellathy, Hampton Township School District, Allison Park, PA Thanks also are given to parents and to colleagues who generously gave their time and volunteered their children for initial trials while the app was in development.