Listening
Put It
Following instructions with in, on, under, next to, and in front of
A recorded instruction, for example “Put the frog on the lily pad” or “Put the hat on the shark.” Three items are at the front of the scene (a frog, a butterfly, and a bee). Two or three places are behind them. The learner selects the named item and drags it to the named place. There are 11 everyday scenes: a playroom, a road, a pond, bedtime, snack time, a bathroom, the ocean, a forest, space, laundry, and trains. There are also 8 holiday scenes: Lunar New Year, Eid, Halloween, Día de los Muertos, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.
When
- Teach or probe prepositions as a listener skill, after the learner knows the names of the items and places.
- Examine if a word, for example on, generalizes to new places (a table, a bed, a shark) and new items.
- Prepare for two-part instructions, where the item and the word are both important. If the learner is not ready to select the item, start with 1 thing.
Why
- Most places have at least two words (on and under the table). The name of the place does not give the answer. The word gives the answer.
- With 3 things, the instruction can name any of the items, and the learner can move all of them. The learner must select the correct item. If the learner moves a different item to a place, the answer is incorrect.
- With 1 thing, only the named item is at the front. The learner only selects the place for it.
- The places do not move. If the learner pushes a place, it only shakes. The app does not score this.
- Each instruction is a recording. It sounds the same each time, with no look or gesture toward the answer. The places change position randomly, so the position does not give the answer.
- All places count at all levels. For example, if the instruction is on the table and the learner puts the ball under the table, the app scores under the table.
- If the learner releases the item in an empty area, the item goes back. The app does not score this.
- Next to the lily pad is also in the water. It counts as correct for in the water.
- After an incorrect placement, the item stays for a short time. Then the item goes back. A light copy of the named item in a teal ring shows the correct place. This is a prompt. The app does not score it as correct.
How
- On the setup screen, select a level. In More settings, under Number of things, select the number of things at the front:
- In or on — The learner puts an item in or on a place. Examples: the ball in the box, the frog on the lily pad. All places are possible choices. If the learner puts the item under or next to a place, the app records an incorrect answer.
- On or under — The learner puts an item on or under a place. Examples: the car under the bridge, the book on the bed. This level uses only the scenes that have places for on and under.
- In, on, or under — The learner puts an item in, on, or under a place. The app uses the 3 words in a mixed sequence in all the scenes.
- In, on, under, or next to — This level adds next to. Next to is possible with almost all places. The app uses the 4 words in a mixed sequence in all the scenes.
- All, with in front of — This level uses all 5 words. It adds in front of, for example in front of the flower at the pond. The app uses the words in a mixed sequence in all the scenes.
- In More settings, under Scenes, keep Everyday, or select All holidays or one holiday. A holiday scene has holiday items (for example a dumpling, a lantern, or a dreidel) and the same types of places, so all levels work. Holiday scenes do not have in front of. Level 5 uses the other 4 words.
- In More settings, under Praise, select:
- On — After a correct answer, the app also plays a short praise phrase, for example “Great job!”
- Off — After a correct answer, the app shows the star and goes to the next turn. The app plays no praise.
- Tap Play. The app plays the first instruction immediately. To hear the instruction again, tap the speaker button. The instruction also shows as text for you.
- Let the learner select an item and drag it. If the placement is correct, the learner gets a star, and a new scene starts. If the placement is incorrect, the app prompts the correct item and place.
- Use Skip, Log, Next time, Reset count, and End the same way as in Find It. Each round has 10 instructions. An instruction with Next time comes back one time in the next round. It replaces one of the instructions for the same word.
Saved to the dashboard: The first item that the learner puts in a place on each trial, the place, and skips. Each item and place is a target (Frog on the lily pad, Truck under the bridge). The most frequent errors show the item and place that the learner selected. For example, Frog on the lily pad → Frog next to the lily pad is an incorrect word. Frog on the lily pad → Bee on the lily pad is an incorrect item. A change of level, or a change between 1 and 3 things, starts a new phase on the graph.
