App

SentenceBuilderTeen™

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Have you seen a large number of grammatically incorrect sentences in class writing lately? Help alleviate that issue with this app, which is targeted toward teenagers. Class members look at age-appropriate images and choose the correct words, such as articles, prepositions, and other connecting words, to describe each image. 

6th - 11th English Language Arts 1 Collection 36 Views 2 Downloads
Additional Tags
App Overview

Steps to Play:

  1. Make a username or choose a previously created profile from the list
  2. Select what level you want to play at: level 1, 2, or 3
  3. Choose your audio preferences; you can toggle audio instructions and correct answer reinforcement off and on
  4. Choose a module: Teen Boy and Teen Girl
  5. Press Play, which is located in the black toolbar at the very bottom of the screen
  6. If you have the audio on, the app will prompt you to, "Make a sentences about the picture"
  7. Build a sentence by sliding the list up and down, choosing the word or group of words that fit the sentence
  8. Press select to submit the sentence
  9. If you have audio feedback on, you will get a response based whether your sentence is correct or not
  10. Try again if your sentence is incorrect
  11. Tap next sentence to continue; you can continue indefinitely
  12. View your stats by touching the stats icon in the black toolbar

Features:

  • View stats for any user by selecting their name from the choose player list; stats can be accessed from the settings page or from the game after you've completed a sentence
  • Create as many profiles as you'd like
  • Optional audio instructions and reinforcement
  • Includes 100 images for sentence writing; these images were chosen with teenagers in mind
  • App focuses on connector words that often trip up students
  • Info button on the black toolbar provides information about how to play the game
  • Three levels of play for differentiation of instruction
Join for full overview
Instructional Ideas

This tool should improve grammar in any class. Start out by practicing a few together on the projector. After that, pupils can play with sentence structure on their own or with a partner. 

Because of the focus on sentence structure and connector words, the app is great for English learners or teenagers with special needs. Set aside some time in class for members to have one-on-one time with a tablet. Differentiate for each individual by assigning a level. Since there are 100 different images and multiple opportunities to try again, this app could be relevant for learners for quite a while.

Track each of your pupils by looking at their stats page. You can find out how many sentences each teen got correct on the first, second, and third try. Adapt instruction based on these numbers.

Classroom Considerations

The only noticeable difference between the TeenBoyGamePack and the TeenGirlGamePack is the voice that affirms the right answer and repeats the correct sentence. For the boy pack, the voice is female, and for the girl pack, the voice is male.

The audio feedback sounds like it was voiced by teenagers. Some of the voices do not sound enthusiastic. However, this might appeal to teenagers.

Pros
  • Strong app for language development
  • Connects words to age-appropriate images
  • No ads, in-app purchases, or data collection
Cons
  • Feedback voices could be more animated
  • After some use, you might want more modules for class members to complete