SEVEN Ways to Use Amazon Alexa to Increase Speech and Language Skills

Get things started with one of these commands:

General Description from Amazon:  

Think you can outsmart the tricky genie? Try this game that’s suitable for all ages. Alexa will tell you a quick story about one or more characters that get themselves into a difficult predicament. The tricky genie will appear holding three sacks. One sack contains the very best solution to the problem. The genie will only give you two chances to pick the sack with the best solution. But the genie may try to trick you into being satisfied with a solution that isn't the best one. After each game, you can choose to have Alexa ask you two questions about the story to train your listening comprehension skills.  This game is brought to you by the team at Tellables. Visit us at Tellables.com to learn about our other skills and to get updates on Tricky Genie.

Feedback:  

I really liked this activity that addresses both problem solving and answering yes/no comprehension questions about a short story.  It would be a good idea to have your child write down some key points while listening to the short story to increase detail recall, especially when answering the two comprehension questions.  Alexa will also ask you if you want to hear the story again, which may be a good time to work on that outline.  In my opinion, this activity is appropriate for upper elementary through middle-school aged clients.  

Heads up

Get things started with one of these commands:

"Alexa open Heads Up! and play Superstars"

"Alexa play Heads Up!"

"Alexa start Heads Up!"

General Description from Amazon: 

“Heads Up!” has arrived on Amazon Alexa! For the first time ever, you can play “Heads Up!” on your own with Alexa, or gather your friends and see who can guess correctly from Alexa's clues!  Pick a category and Alexa will provide up to three fun facts and clues for each card — See how many you can get right in 90 seconds!  Decks include: Superstars, Blockbuster Movies, Animals Gone Wild, and Favorite Fictional Characters.  Please note that this activity is rated as "Guidance Suggested".  

Feedback:

If you enjoy playing this game on your phone, then you will like this version as well.  Chimes indicate if you got the answer correct/incorrect and a total score is reported when time is up.  I like that there are just a few categories to choose as this reduces time spent trying to select a group.  Having said that, you can purchase more groups for a small fee.  This game would be a fun way to work on increasing vocabulary, naming items in a category, and recall.  

Would you Rather Family

Get things started with one of these commands:

"Alexa, Play Would You Rather"

"Start Would You Rather"

"Open Would You Rather"

General Description from Amazon:

Would You Rather for Family is a simple but addicting game where you make a choice between two lighthearted and silly situations. Will the rest of the world agree with your decision? You have to try the skill to find out!  Enjoy hundreds of fun, family-friendly questions to keep all ages entertained for hours.  Would You Rather is now available in multi-player mode. You can enjoy it with your entire family or play by yourself.  Play Would You Rather at a sleepover, at a party, on family game night or simply to pass time. Questions are continually added so check back often for updates. Enjoy the game, and I look forward to hearing your suggestions about how it could be improved!

Feedback:

As with Heads Up, there are just a few, theme choices: Standard, Disney, or Harry Potter.  Again, the fewer the choices, the faster you can make a decision on which one to play.  I tried the Standard and Harry Potter editions and especially enjoyed the Harry Potter one, because the feedback stays on topic with Potter language.  After each answer, Alexa will tell you what percentage answered in the same manner.  The only downfall is that you do not get time to explain why you made your selection.  I figured that you could play a couple rounds, write down responses, and then discuss these later. 

Animal Game 

Get things started with one of these commands:

"Alexa, start Animal Game"

"Alexa, play Animal Game"

General Description from Amazon:

Test Alexa’s animal knowledge by having her guess an animal of your choice. Alexa will ask you questions to figure out your chosen animal, so make sure you’re familiar with the basics! What color is it? Can it fly? Does it live in hot climates? Your answers to these questions will help Alexa narrow down the animal possibilities and make the best guess. Will you be able to stump Alexa, or will she be victorious in the end? Alexa knows over three hundred animals and can also tell you some interesting facts about them. Did you know that rats laugh when they are tickled? And that no polar bear has ever met a penguin?

Feedback:

I will readily admit that I was wildly entertained when Alexa guessed the animals that I selected!  This activity is a great way to work on descriptive skills and all you need to do is answer Alexa's yes/no questions.  Feel free to have her repeat a question or ask someone for help if you're not sure how to respond.  After you play a round, you could turn this into a table task by drawing a graphic organizer and recalling the details about your animal.  

Guess my Name

Get things started with one of these commands:

"Alexa, open Guess My Name."

"Alexa, ask Guess My Name to play countries."

"Alexa, ask Guess My Name about the Summer Discount Bundle."

General Description from Amazon:

Laptops down and phones away for this guessing game you can play all day! Fun for one, or for all the family. You'll hear a series of clues, in your chosen category. Your job is to guess, whom you think it may be, but you'll have to be quick, if you want to score highly.  Shout out your answer, if you think you know. For example you'd say: "Alexa you're Marilyn Monroe!"  For feedback, comments or suggestions, email studio@opearlo.com, and we'll answer your questions!  Free categories include:  Countries (NEW), Animals, Historical Figures, Famous Actors, Animated Characters, and Random.

Feedback:

This game can be a bit challenging, so I would recommend playing it with middle to high-school aged children.  You are given an option to select the number of players in the game.  Since I was a solo player, Alexa matched me to someone else in the United States.  While you are given an option to activate your name, I decided to protect my privacy.  Each game consists of five rounds with point values decreasing after each additional clue.  Answer quickly and achieve the highest number of points: five.  At the end, you will hear a point tally and winner announcement.  I liked that this game can be competitive even if you are playing on your own. However, this game may not be suitable for clients with moderate to severe language processing challenges as you are not given much time to respond.