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Story Wheel Lite

Mindprint Rating

Tags

ELA: ^Other ELA: Writing ^Music, Art and Makerspaces K-8 iOS App

Skills

Expressive Language Organization Verbal Reasoning

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • A visible timer lets students see how much recording time remains.
  • The students can re-record segments of their story that they are not fully pleased with as many times as they want.

Considerations

  • The story themes are limited to four choices in the free version of the app.
  • There is no visual organizer to support learners in crafting their story's structure.

Mindprint Expert Review

Story Wheel is a great story telling app that provides inspiration for kids and a guide for parents in the key components of story building. The app provides parents with a How To guide that breaks down the multiple elements of story structure and provides concrete examples to make it clear. The activity is straightforward and easy to use. The student selects one of four themes and then spins the story wheel which stops on a random character, object or setting for the student-author to write about. While the lite version gives students the chance to try each theme once for free, the full version allows students unlimited uses of each theme. The student simply speaks into the microphone of the tablet and can record up to 30 seconds of the story at a time. The format is flexible so that students can complete their stories in as few as two chunks or as many as twelve. The stories can be saved and then listened to or shared online or via email. This app is excellent for students who are just getting started and find it easier to speak than to write their ideas. Though the topics are limited in scope to pirates, knights & princesses, and space, there is a fourth more open-ended Story Teller option that provides more general settings, characters and objects. The variety of prompts should be familiar and a good starting point for reluctant story tellers. The app can be ideal for older students who are developing increasingly complex story lines and find it easier to speak than to write an outline. While not a direct instructional tool, this is an excellent resource to encourage narrative story telling without the labor of the writing process.

Academic Benefits

Improves academic skills

  • Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
  • Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
  • Presents educational concepts accurately
  • Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
  • Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
  • Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
  • Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

Fun

Engaging for the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
  • Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
  • Visually appealing to children in the target age range
  • Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
  • Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
  • Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
  • Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

Easy to Use

Understandable for children in the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Has a free or trial version
  • Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
  • Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
  • Student should be able to use independently after first use
  • Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
  • Multiple users can save a profile
  • Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
  • Can play without sound and not distract others
  • Students can save work between sessions
  • Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
  • Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
  • Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
  • Overall - Easy to use

Cognitive Concerns

May not be advisable for students with the following cognitive needs

  • Attention
    • Promotes purchases or upgrades to students
  • Organization
  • Self-regulation
    • Promotes purchases or upgrades to students

Manufacturer Description

Pirates, Princesses, Aliens and more.

Let your child's imagination run wild as they create their own unique story with Story Wheel!

Story Wheel is an educational game that improves your child’s cognitive abilities. Story Wheel helps develop an understanding of story composition, strengthens imagination, and improves oral language skills. It is a perfect complement to your child’s language arts school curriculum.

1-4 players can create a story. Start by spinning the wheel to get a picture. Next, record your voice as you develop a story with that picture. Each player will build upon the story with a new picture. When done, you can listen to your story and share your creations online, or email them to family and friends.

With four themes to choose from, the stories are unlimited.

The Lite version allows you to try each theme once for free.

SUPPORTED LANGUAGES:
- This app supports English.
- هذا التطبيق يدعم اللغة العربية
- 本应用程序支持中文。
- Esta aplicación está en español.