Minimal Pairs Academy

Name: Minimal Pairs Academy
Price: 19.99 USD
Rating: 2.8 (4 reviews)
Author: Smarty Ears

Phonological Delays Treatment

$19.99 · Designed for iPad

4 Ratings
Ages

4+
Years
Category

Education
Developer

Smarty Ears
Language

EN
English
Size

58
MB

iPad

Grounded in research and trusted by professionals, MPA builds listening, discrimination, and production skills across 23 phonological processes. Minimal Pairs Academy (MPA) Developed by Smarty Ears – Trusted by over 250,000 educators worldwide Minimal Pairs Academy (MPA) is an evidence-based app designed for speech-language pathologists and parents supporting children with phonological sound disorders. Built on proven linguistic and therapeutic research, MPA helps children strengthen listening, discrimination, and speech sound production skills while practicing both word and phrase levels. Grounded in linguistically based treatment procedures proven effective for children with multiple sound disorders (Saben & Ingham, 1991), MPA targets not only the accurate production of sounds but also their contrastive use. This approach helps reduce homophone errors caused by phonological processes and improves overall speech intelligibility. What are phonological processes? Phonological processes are patterns children use to simplify adult speech. The minimal pairs approach pairs a child’s typical error sound with its correct target, a research-supported method that promotes more accurate and meaningful communication (Barlow & Gierut, 2002). Targets and Activities MPA covers 23 of the most common phonological processes through four engaging, interactive activities and an animated introduction that makes minimal pair learning engaging and effective. With more than 900 words organized across 23 minimal pair sets, MPA includes: 1. Auditory Bombardment – Exposure to words with both auditory and visual cues. 2. Auditory Discrimination – Identification of the correct sound by selecting the target word. 3. Production Practice – Opportunity to practice target words, with optional visual support for paired words. 4. Phrase Completion – Selection of the correct target word to complete a phrase, promoting carryover into connected speech. Powerful Data Tracking and Reporting MPA includes robust tracking and reporting tools designed to support data-driven therapy decisions. Features include: • Session summaries for each student • Progress graphs by process and over time • Student statistics, including age, time in therapy, and processes addressed or mastered • “Mastered” stamps to track and celebrate progress • Options to email or print reports directly from AirPrint-enabled devices Key Features • Evidence-based treatment approach • More than 900 words targeting 23 phonological processes • Four engaging therapy activities plus an animated introduction • Detailed data collection and visual progress tracking • Email and AirPrint reporting options • Literacy support through visual print cues • Suitable for individual and group therapy sessions Why Choose MPA Created by Smarty Ears, a leader in speech and language technology, Minimal Pairs Academy combines clinical expertise with innovative design to make therapy more effective and engaging. MPA empowers speech-language pathologists, educators, and parents to help children overcome communication challenges and discover their voices with confidence. Minimal Pairs Academy – Empowering speech, one contrast at a time.

Ratings & Reviews

2.8

out of 5

4 Ratings

Minimal Pairs Academy
11/12/2019

SocialSLP
I would give this app 5 stars, if not for one issue. Initially, I was unable to get it to work. It appears to be a glitch with prevocalic voicing. As long as I don’t select prevocalic voicing, the app works as expected. Smarty Ears customer service has been responsive and states they are working to correct this problem.
Minimal Pairs Academy
11/12/2019

SocialSLP

I would give this app 5 stars, if not for one issue. Initially, I was unable to get it to work. It appears to be a glitch with prevocalic voicing. As long as I don’t select prevocalic voicing, the app works as expected. Smarty Ears customer service has been responsive and states they are working to correct this problem.
Useful tool
04/30/2019

Iner ettenna
I have found this app to be a good addition to my phonological therapy. The kids like when the cards spin when they get it correct and they enjoy the feedback of the recording. I do find some of the pictures difficult for kids to recognize and the repetition is random but that may be a setting I have yet to discover. This one is a keeper.
Useful tool
04/30/2019

Iner ettenna

I have found this app to be a good addition to my phonological therapy. The kids like when the cards spin when they get it correct and they enjoy the feedback of the recording. I do find some of the pictures difficult for kids to recognize and the repetition is random but that may be a setting I have yet to discover. This one is a keeper.
Takes a little time to set up
04/30/2019

KLBong
This app takes some time to set up initially so is not a good one to pull out last minute. It is nice to have an app that addresses phonological processes.
Takes a little time to set up
04/30/2019

KLBong

This app takes some time to set up initially so is not a good one to pull out last minute. It is nice to have an app that addresses phonological processes.
Good access to pictures but can be cumbersome to use.
02/13/2015

meganjo83
I am very pleased to have access to minimal pairs on my iPad and not have to carry around many different packs of cards (I work itinerantly as an SLP). I like most of the word pairings and pictures, though some pictures are hard to grasp for my 3-5 year olds. I do find it difficult to adjust to my needs and would like to see an option for a different interface where you can simply pick the deck you want to practice, the game to be played, and the child(ren) who will be participating.Pros:- finally minimal pairs on my iPad!- different games/levels of practice- ability to track data for more than one student and targetCons:- if you set up the app the way they suggest, you don't have control over which target is used each time you play (for students with more than one target) - if you want to target the same target twice in one week you have to tweak the student's goals each time you play in order to select only the one you want to practice - which is a good work-around but more cumbersome than I think necessary- only requests the target sound during auditory discrimination tasks, not both to see how well a student can identify either.- some of the pictures are unclear, especially for younger students
Good access to pictures but can be cumbersome to use.
02/13/2015

meganjo83

I am very pleased to have access to minimal pairs on my iPad and not have to carry around many different packs of cards (I work itinerantly as an SLP). I like most of the word pairings and pictures, though some pictures are hard to grasp for my 3-5 year olds. I do find it difficult to adjust to my needs and would like to see an option for a different interface where you can simply pick the deck you want to practice, the game to be played, and the child(ren) who will be participating.Pros:- finally minimal pairs on my iPad!- different games/levels of practice- ability to track data for more than one student and targetCons:- if you set up the app the way they suggest, you don't have control over which target is used each time you play (for students with more than one target) - if you want to target the same target twice in one week you have to tweak the student's goals each time you play in order to select only the one you want to practice - which is a good work-around but more cumbersome than I think necessary- only requests the target sound during auditory discrimination tasks, not both to see how well a student can identify either.- some of the pictures are unclear, especially for younger students