What Are the Best Speech Apps for Toddlers? (And How to Use Them)

If you've been a follower of mine for a while, you know that I am not really a fan of screen time. I am always going to encourage parents to do interactive play with their little ones instead of using screens. But I also get asked about speech apps a lot, so if you are the parent of a toddler or preschooler with language delays or trouble saying sounds clearly, I want to share the apps my students have enjoyed the most.

So here's the plain answer: the best speech apps for toddlers are simple apps that you use WITH your child, like My First Words, See Touch Learn, My PlayHome and Articulation Station. The app itself isn't what helps your child talk. You are. Let me explain.

Why Apps Only Work When You're Part of It

Let's start by looking at the development behind learning language. Screens are passive learning. Children need to learn the back and forth of conversation, and they can't get that from a screen, no matter how much we want to say they can from Dora and Miss Rachel. Plain and simple, it's not the same as interacting with a person.

As an Early Childhood Interventionist, I use apps very rarely with families. When I do, it's usually to see how well a child can name pictures or to listen to how they say their sounds. The key is that you need to be there doing it with them. It's not about handing them the tablet and letting them run off to play with it on their own. Think about it like reading a book: you want to make tablet time interactive, just like a storybook.

Why the Same App Works Differently for Different Kids

It's equally important to understand our children's unique wiring (how they experience the world), because it can help us identify the best way to teach them.

• Kids who love cause and effect can get so focused on the sounds an app makes (like a buzzer for a wrong answer) that they push it over and over. For these kiddos, turning the sounds off keeps the focus on learning.
• Hyperlexic kids (children who are drawn to letters and reading early) may read the word under a picture instead of answering your question. Turning off the picture names helps.
• Kids who are HIGHLY motivated by the tablet may want to grab it and run off. That motivation can actually become a tool, which I'll share in a minute.
• Shy or slow-to-warm kids may be very vocal with you at home but go quiet around new people, like a therapist or evaluator.

And remember our own wiring too: if our little one gets frustrated because we keep asking them to say "more" over and over, they won't want anything to do with us or that tablet. Neurons that fire together wire together, so keep it fun and silly.

Strategies: My Favorite Speech Apps and How to Use Them

Here are the apps I use and how to make each one interactive. I have no affiliation with these apps or their creators. I'm just sharing them because they are the ones my students have enjoyed the most over the years. I'm an Apple user, so I'm not sure they're all available on Android.

My First Words by Alligator Apps. This is a nice app for working on labeling with kiddos who won't sit still for books. It has a large library of crisp, clean photographs, which makes pictures easy to identify. I encourage parents to flip through the pictures doing a hand-over-hand touch with their child's finger (a great way to eventually get to pointing). I like to add a "boop" as we touch the pictures to make it fun. For example: "carrot" → "boop!" as you touch to move to the next photo. To start, you are working on comprehension by repeating the words a lot. Eventually, you want your child to imitate the "boop," and then the words. When they've been repeating for a while, switch to "What is that?" and wait to see if they can name it. If not, model the word and encourage more imitation. They will get there with time, practice and patience!

The app is customizable, so you can remove pictures that don't make sense for your child. For example, if you don't live where there are a lot of tropical birds, you might delete the more exotic pictures and use a simple sparrow for "bird." You can turn on a voice (or record your own) that names the pictures, but I recommend turning the sounds off, since some kids get so focused on the cause and effect that it distracts from learning. I also recommend removing the picture names for kiddos who are hyperlexic.

See, Touch, Learn by Brain Parade. This is a great app for working on comprehension: identifying objects, identifying objects by category, understanding actions, pronouns and more. It is one of the more expensive apps at $24.99, but your child can use it well into the early elementary years for things like sequencing, similarities, opposites and word recognition. You will need to buy individual picture libraries, but they are fairly cheap. I bought the First 100 Words library and the Actions library, and they have served me well for over ten years.

You can create your own lessons in the app. I often start with identifying objects, giving a choice between two pictures. If you do this, use pictures from different categories so your child is more likely to be successful. For example, you don't want an apple and an orange and ask, "Where's the apple?" They're both round. They're both fruit. You eat both of them. Young children are still learning to categorize and sort things, so make it easier with pictures from different categories, like an apple and a shoe or a cat and a couch. As your child gets better, add more pictures, building from two to four, six and so on. When they're really good at identifying and naming those, move to pictures from the same category, like all farm animals.

There are some pre-set lessons, but many get harder with each screen, so I suggest starting with simple lessons you create yourself. There's a great tutorial in the app on how to do that. The only sounds I use are the ones for a correct or incorrect response (a buzzer). Be forewarned, some little ones get very focused on the buzzer and push it over and over. In that case, turn the sounds off.

My PlayHome. This app is SUPER fun, and kids love it. I usually leave the sounds on with this one because they are so much fun. It's a great app for labeling, identifying objects and following directions. I like that the learning environment is a house. You can use the arrows to go to different areas, like outside, upstairs to the bedroom or into the bathroom. It's all objects your child should already know from everyday life.

This app can grow with your child. I usually start with labeling as your child touches or moves objects on the screen. Next, ask "Where is the ___?" to see if your child can find it. Then work on "What is that?" when your child touches an object, working toward naming objects on their own. From there, you can work on simple directions like "feed mama," actions like jumping and sleeping, and, as their understanding grows, prepositions ("put that on the table") and pronouns ("give the apple to her"). Anytime you can sneak in learning and have fun at the same time, I'm on board.

Articulation Station. I use this app mainly with little ones who are struggling to say their sounds. The sounds in the app come in three colors: work on the blue sounds first, then the green and then the red. I don't use this app as much to get kids to name objects as I do to get them to practice imitating the sounds of words. You can also upload your own pictures.

Another nice feature is that you can record your child while you do the app together, so you can track progress. Sometimes it's nice as a parent to listen to your child's speech from three months ago and realize they really have made a lot of progress! It's hard to see progress when you are with them 24/7. I sometimes use the record feature with shy kiddos who are scheduled to be re-evaluated. They're really vocal with me during visits, but not so much around new people. It's a handy feature if you're worried your child won't "perform" for a therapist. You can also set it up as a matching game if your child gets bored with flashcards, though the matching game can be tricky for many little ones to understand.

Autism Apps. This is where I found all of the apps I use. Many of the apps featured in it were created by therapists with lots of experience working with children with communication and learning difficulties. You can filter by age, topic and more, and the apps are rated and reviewed by parents and therapists. It's a great resource for finding language apps.

Here are some simple strategies you can use to make tablet time a real communication tool:

• Set boundaries around the technology. Teach your child that tablet time is something you do together. Whenever I introduce the iPad to a little one, I hold on to it. If they decide to walk away, then we're all done.
• Always follow their lead. If they want to try a different game, do it. If they want to be done, end it. Make it fun, make it silly and keep it playful.
• Ask, don't tell, your child to say words. Try "Can you say ball?" instead of "Say ball." Little kids are all about power. Telling them to do something is a sure-fire way to get them to do the opposite.
• Pair motor actions and cues with words. Turn the iPad so your child is more likely to look at you. Give verbal and physical prompts, like "Can you look at my face?" while pointing to your eyes.
• Use the tablet as a communication temptation. For kids who are HIGHLY motivated by tablet time, do a couple of rounds of a game, then say, "We're all done." If they protest, ask if they want more using a sign or cue, and encourage your child to do it with you. Then play several more rounds, or about five minutes, before closing it again.
• Keep tablet time short. I suggest 10 to 20 minutes. Your child will have plenty of time for screens as they get older. Tablet time should be a supplement, one more little strategy in your pocket.
• Practice the same skills in other play routines. If you work on the sign "more" during tablet time, carry it over into other routines for stronger learning.

I go more in depth on this topic in my YouTube video. You can watch it here.

If you have a toddler who isn't talking yet and you want tips and strategies you can do at home, check out my How to Get Your Toddler Talking DIY course for parents.

If you have concerns about your child's speech or language development, reach out to your local early intervention program. You can find your state's program here.

The Bottom Line

The best speech apps for toddlers are simple ones like My First Words, See Touch Learn, My PlayHome and Articulation Station, but only when you use them together with your child. Kids who love cause and effect, read early or are very motivated by the tablet may need the sounds or words turned off and clear boundaries. Keep tablet time short, follow their lead and ask rather than tell. Anytime you can sneak in learning and have fun at the same time, your child wins.

Quick Answers

Can speech apps help a toddler with a speech delay? They can be a helpful supplement when you use them together with your child. They don't replace interactive play or early intervention.

How much tablet time is okay for a toddler with a speech delay? I suggest keeping it between 10 and 20 minutes, and always doing it together.

Should I turn the sounds on or off? It depends on your child. If they get stuck pushing buttons for the sounds, turn them off so the focus stays on learning.

Want to know what to look for at each age? Grab my free Speech Milestones Checklist.

All my best, Jill

Jill Urbane, LCSW, is an early childhood interventionist with nearly three decades of experience working in the homes of families with young children.