Sago Mini First Words
By Mieke VanderBorght,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Practice drills support speech challenges via video models.
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Sago Mini First Words
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What’s It About?
Sign in to your account or create a new one, then choose a subscription option to start SAGO MINI FIRST WORDS. From the main screen, kids swipe up, down, left, or right to see the word category options available such as animals, small numbers, vehicles, or family. Tap on one, then swipe through and choose one of words. For each word, kids listen and watch as a model clearly says the word three times. Then, kids are prompted to say the word out loud themselves. As kids say the word correctly -- or close to correctly -- a sound bar at the bottom fills up. This process repeats at least three times. The second time kids can watch themselves as they say the word, and the third time kids watch themselves with a silly photo filter. In between the speech exercises, kids play mini-games like putting puzzle pieces back together or seeing the word used in a sentence. The main menu also includes a mouth exercises in which kids watch videos of models making different movement with their mouth and tongue such as fish lips or a cheek push and then practice the movements themselves.
Is It Any Good?
The high-quality video modeling and repetition make for a solid resource for kids who need a little extra help with their speech development. The kid models do a wonderful job of enunciating as they slowly and deliberately demonstrate saying each word. Sago Mini First Words also does a nice job of allowing kids to watch themselves as they practice saying the word back. The voice recognition software works somewhat well to give kids feedback on how clearly they pronounced the target word, though it's also pretty easy for kids to slide through without really saying the word correctly. The mouth exercises category is also great for helping kids move and control their mouth and tongue in various ways. Parents should be aware that even though there are a few little activities thrown in each exercise, Sago Mini First Words is not a game. In fact, each word follows the exact same format and kids may soon feel like they're doing practice drills. As such, these drills have the potential to be really wonderful for kids who have some speech challenges. But, the need for something like this for kids who are developing speech normally is debatable. And, given the subscription price, parents will definitely want to check out the free trial before deciding if these speech drills are right for their kid.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the words in Sago Mini First Words. Engage in conversations and encourage your kids to use the words they've practiced saying with the app.
Help kids construct stories using the words they've practiced.
Listen closely as your kids practice saying the words to hear what sounds might be challenging for them.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading : speaking, vocabulary
- Skills: Communication : speaking
- Pricing structure: Free to try (Subscription costs $7.99/month or $59.99/year. 7-day free trial available.)
- Release date: July 12, 2022
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Sago Sago
- Version: 1.0.220707
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 13.2 or later
- Last updated: August 5, 2022
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