MakingConnections

There is a fee, but you can record yourself reading children's books online and share the link.

"In place of what would have been Digital-Storytime's 10th 'Top 10′ list, this week I have whittled down my favorites to just 25 apps I would recommend for a well-rounded collection. This list represents just 10% of the 250 books reviewed on our site (and includes insights from previewing over 1000 book apps overall). The list is in no particular ranked order, although it is broken up into categories to make it a little more user-friendly"

"Differences in the children's home learning environment predicted their readiness to start school, according to the study in the current issue of the journal Child Development. For example, children whose home learning environment scores were consistently low were much more likely to have delays in language and literacy skills at pre-kindergarten than children who had high home learning scores. "Our findings indicate that enriched learning experiences as early as the first year of life are important to children's vocabulary growth, which in turn provides a foundation for children's later school success,""

"Each month of the National Year of Communication has a theme which focuses on a particuar aspect of communication. We have been working with the support service CENMAC to create inclusive Widgit Symbol resources to support each of these monthly themes. These resources are all available to download for free! For each month's Widgit Symbol resources, there is also a free supporting resource available to download featuring the Let's Sign & Write British Sign Language Graphics."

Can translate this into English with a button on the side. Links to very simple computer games

Tots N Tech is a research project focused on assistive tech use in the birth to 3 population.

"Last night we led a round table on Twitter about a topic of interest to us: Apps and Autism. It was a thoughtful discussion about how iOS devices, particularly the iPad, have transformed the lives of many autistic children. Parents and special educators gathered together and talked intimately about the magical effect technology has on the autistic children in their lives. The group stressed improvements in independence, communication and life skills, as a result of their using apps, all leading to improved quality of life for a child and family."

We are a group of 40+ Local Assistive Technology Specialists and FDLRS Technology Specialists from an 11 county region in central east Florida. Each year we hold a symposium where work groups create resources for the students, teachers, and therapists we support. One of our 2008 Symposium work groups focused on creating literacy visual supports. Files were created in Boardmaker 6.0"

"Today's students were born digital but those responsible for their education were not. Youngsters arrive at school in tune with the social context and experience the web offers. Children thrive when teachers find ways to educate them in a more flexible, hypertext manner. This space focuses on development of and support for teachers in their use of technology as they cultivate 21st century content knowledge and skills in their students. Brueck Educational Innovations, LLC Founded in 2008 by Jeremy and Kimberly Brueck, both licensed educators and administrators, Brueck Educational Innovations consults with teachers at schools and districts, presents at conferences and conducts seminars for educational programs to customize and deliver professional development in areas affecting curriculum and instruction."

"This handout is meant to be a resource. It is not meant to be exhaustive and is not a suggestion on what apps to buy or download. It is always helpful to review the ratings on apps before purchasing. For review of apps, click on the review button when you are on the app download page in iTunes. If a lite version is available, generally they are free or cheaper, so they can be a way for you to try an app."

"Nursery Rhymes to Sing See and Sign are free downloadable, web-based communication resources for all young children. It includes 14 favorite Nursery Rhymes. Nursery Rhymes to Sing See and Sign provide a particular focus on communication strategies known to help communication and language development in children with communication difficulties. "

Wiki compiling the results of a Twitter conversation regarding appls for children with autism

Nice blog post about interactivity of book apps on iPad

Live Binder full of reading sites

Books are displayed, read aloud and signed "This is your website. It's got lots of great books to see in sign language and subtitles. Hearing family and friends can listen to the stories too. You can all watch together! We'll add more books. So keep coming back to see what's new. Tell your friends … click on the windows… explore…and have FUN!"

For young children to use computers successfully, it is critical to select software that is developmentally appropriate, that is, consistent with how children develop and learn. Researchers agree that software for young children should: * Encourage exploration, imagination, and problem solving * Reflect and build on what children already know * Involve many senses and include sound, music, and voice * Be open-ended, with the child in control of the pace and the path

"A developmental listing of videos I found (10/2010) suggesting that the iPad has lowered the Minimum User Competency by about 18 months, from 2 1/2 years (the mouse/keyboard). This presents new opportunities for children's interactive media developers; suggesting the dawn of a new era in computing, as user interface becomes increasingly invisible. "

Good blog post on the iPad frenzy "We are at a position where the iPad is showing solid potential as an educational tool, and many developers are running experiments on the app store to test out those theories. But conclusions have not been drawn. Long term studies have not been completed. And I still don't see many app development teams including teachers and educators directly within their development process. YOU, as the consumer, have the responsibility to think critically whenever new media or content is put in front of your child. Now is the time to dust off your report card and ask the tough questions, before the trendy momentum of consumer culture takes over."

Slideshare presentation on iPod/iPad apps for special education by Kate Ahern

"This blog is designed to document infants/toddlers with disabilities using an iPad to promote their development. I hope to show how this new technology can help children with disabilities develop their communication, play, pre-literacy, cognitive, visual/auditory and motor skills."