Common Sense Media Review
By Liz Panarelli
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Voice recorder app designed for teachers, fun for families.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Speech Journal
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
SPEECH JOURNAL is a tool for adding audio narration to images. Kids can add narration to single images or link several images and bits of narration together to create a narrated slideshow. They start by creating an account with their first and last names. (No data is collected outside the app, so names are safe.) They then choose an image, either taking a new one with the device's camera or choosing one from the device's photo library. The image can be moved and scaled, but further editing isn't available. Kids then hit the green record button and start talking: They can journal in a stream-of-consciousness flow, read something they've written, or read another's work. When finished, they hit stop and can choose to erase and rerecord, play the recording, continue recording, save the recording, or add another image and continue recording. Adding another image creates a slideshow stream with narration. Saved recordings are kept in the archives and can be opened and added to later. Recordings can be emailed as Core Audio Files (.caf).
Is It Any Good?
Speech Journal is intended as a tool for teachers, but it can also be fun for families and kids. It doesn't have all the functionality of similar apps -- users can't type in captions, like Pictello, but it has a friendlier price tag; and they can't include video, like Storyrobe, but it works much more smoothly. Images are limited to the photos and pictures on the user's device -- as opposed to being able to import images from the web, like Skrappy, -- which has plusses and minuses. The simpler features Speech Journal does offer, it does well, however. The video tutorial makes using the app very clear. It's also great to be able to crop selected photos, gradually build recordings, and make different recordings under different profiles, although it would be nice to be able to easily share recordings among profiles.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Ask kids to tell a story about a favorite photo.
Help your kids sequence multiple photos and record an audio narrative to tell a story.
Talk with kids about possible topics for a photo slideshow, such as documenting a school science experiment, family vacation, or art project.
App Details
- Device : iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : presenting to others , speaking , storytelling , Arts : photography
- Skills : Creativity : imagination , making new creations , producing new content , Collaboration : group projects , teamwork , Tech Skills : digital creation , using and applying technology
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : August 7, 2013
- Genre : Education
- Publisher : Mobile Education Store LLC
- Version : 1.5
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.1 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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