How to use TargetTree
Short guides for everything TargetTree can do, from running a word-card session to building a worksheet to make it your own. New here? Start at the top and work down.
Practice
Pick a sound and practice
Tap any tile on the All sounds page to open that sound's word cards. Move through them with the arrows or a swipe, tap the speaker to hear a word read aloud, and use Highlight sound or Syllables to break a word down. Each card stays full-screen and out of the way during a live session.
Filter to the words you want
At the bottom of a sound's word list, narrow the cards by position (initial, medial, or final) and by syllable count. Set the defaults you reach for in Settings, and still adjust them per session right here.
Choose a practice level
On a sound's word list, the Level row at the bottom switches between Isolation (the sound on its own, with a cue for how to make it), Syllables (short syllable drills, on sounds that have them), and Words. Games use the level you pick. When a round ends, you can tag whether the client said the words on their own, in a Phrase, or in a Sentence, and the tag shows in the summary.
Shuffle or switch the view
The buttons at the top of a sound's word list switch between list view and tile view, and between a Scrambled order and A→Z. Turn on Scramble word lists in Settings to have every list open shuffled. When pictures start hidden, tap a card to reveal its picture.
Read the sound guide
Every sound's word list has a sound guide: the age the sound usually develops, how to make it, tips for practicing at home, and common questions. Tap Show sound guide to open it, or turn on Show the sound guide in Settings to have it open every time. Sound guides are free for everyone.
Find the right sound for a child's age
Not sure where to start? Sounds by Age shows the age by which most children say each sound, and every sound in the chart opens its practice words.
Play a game
Tap Play on a sound's word list, choose a game like Balloon Pop or Rocket Launch, then pick a goal of 5, 10, 15, or 20 words. Each word the client says moves the game along until they hit the goal. Seasonal games join the list during their season, and more games unlock with Pro.
Practice several sounds at once
Tap Select on the All sounds page, choose the sounds you want, then tap Practice to run them all together as one set of word cards.
Build a custom word list
Open Word Lists from Home or the menu and tap New word list. Pick the target sounds and positions, leave out sounds a child is not ready for, narrow by word length and shape, and untick any word you don't want. Then practice the words, play the games with them, or print a worksheet, and save the list to reuse next time. Saved lists wait on the Word Lists page, ready to practice, edit, print, or delete. Word Lists is part of Pro.
Flip the picture cards
On a sound's word list, tap the grid button in the top corner to swap the rows for a picture grid. When a seasonal card back is in season, a flip button appears next to it: tap it to turn every card face-down to the seasonal art, then tap any card to flip it over and reveal the picture.
Phonological patterns
Practice a sound contrast
Open Phonological Patterns from Home or the menu and pick a contrast. They're grouped by pattern, like fronting, stopping, gliding, and final consonant deletion. Tap a word pair to start: two pictures appear, and the client says the one marked Say this one. Rate Got it! or Almost as you go. Use Target to choose which sound the client attempts, and turn off Target cue to leave only the border around the card as the cue. Two contrasts are free, and Pro unlocks the rest.
Practice several contrasts together
On the Phonological Patterns page, tap Select multiple, choose contrasts from the same pattern, then tap Practice to run all of their pairs as one session.
Play the listening game
On a contrast's pair list, choose a goal for the Listening game. The app says one of the two words and the client taps the picture they hear (tap Hear it again to replay it). It scores itself and moves on. Listening results get their own section in the summary and don't count toward speaking accuracy.
Hold to the end
For final consonant deletion, pick Train or Worm under Hold to the end on the pair list. The client drags from the first picture to the second while saying the word, reaching the end on the final sound, as a cue to hold the word until it's finished. It never affects the rating, and each device remembers your choice.
Practice word shapes
At the bottom of Phonological Patterns, Word Patterns opens picture cards for one word shape at a time, like CV (bee, cow), CVC, or CCVC, for practice that builds whole word structures.
Picture scenes and stories
Find words in a picture scene
Open Picture Scenes, pick a sound, then pick a scene. The client finds and says the things in the picture that have the sound. Rate each try with Got it! or Almost, move between scenes with the arrows or arrow keys, and tap Finish for a quick summary. During a session, scene practice shows in the summary as conversational practice. The first sound in each group is free.
Read a story
Open Stories, pick a sound, then pick a story built around it. Turn the pages with Next and Previous (or the arrow keys) while the client reads or retells each one, and use Highlight sound to mark the target sound in the text. One story is free, and Pro unlocks the rest.
Sessions and worksheets
Start and finish a session
Tap Start session at the top of the All sounds page (or on the Practice page). Practice results stay local while you work. Everything you practice, from word cards to games to accuracy, is included in the summary. When you're done, tap Finish session to end it and open the summary and download it immediately.
See how practice went
As you run through a sound's word cards, tap Got it! or Almost! on each one. At the end, TargetTree shows the percentage of words the client got right, a breakdown by sound and position, and every word you practiced, for an instant accuracy score.
Generate a worksheet
Open the local summary right after you finish and tap Generate worksheet. Pick the words with All or All missed, choose whether to include pictures, then open a print-friendly page and download or print the PDF.
Build a worksheet anytime
Open Worksheets from Home or the menu and tap New worksheet, no session needed. Pick one or more sounds and a position, untick any words you don't want, choose whether to include pictures, and tap Save worksheet. To leave out sounds or filter by word length and shape, build a word list instead and tap Print worksheet. Worksheets are part of Pro.
Print or share a worksheet
Saved worksheets wait on the Worksheets page. Tap Open to view one, PDF to download it, or Delete to remove it. On an open worksheet, Print prints it and Copy link copies a link anyone can open without an account, handy for sending practice home.
Live sessions
Start a live session
Run a session across two devices, so the client follows along on their own screen with a parent or another responsible adult beside them. From Home or any practice catalog, tap Start live, then Start live session. TargetTree shows a short join code, and a child device started from a catalog waits with a friendly message while you get ready. A word-list launch starts with that sound's cards. Start a tracking session first and the live ratings are included in the host's local summary, just like regular practice.
Join from the other device
On the client's device, open Live from the menu (or the link you share with them), type the 6-character join code, and tap Join. Only one device can be connected at a time. Their screen then mirrors whatever you choose, full-screen and free of buttons.
Guide the activity
Switch between Flashcard, Game, and Pick the picture, show or hide the picture, and rate Got it! or Almost as you go. Start a timer that appears small at the top of their screen, and watch for their Need help tap. Tap End to finish.
Mix in more activities
The live controls also include Flip cards (a picture grid you and the client can both flip), Phonological patterns (word pairs, with a Target cue switch for the client's screen), Picture scene, and Story (you turn the pages, and the client sees each one). Tap Change next to the sound to switch sounds without ending the session.
Let the child pick the game
On the Game tab, choose Let the child choose to show the game list on their screen. Their pick comes back to you, and you start it when you're ready. Choose Pick a game myself to pick from your own screen instead.
Make it your own
Set your defaults
Open Settings to choose what each word card opens with: highlight the target sound, break into syllables, show the picture, and show pictures during games. You can also set the default position for each type of sound, whether word lists open scrambled, whether the sound guide opens expanded, and whether pair practice shows the Say this one label. You can still change any of these per word or per session.
Favorite a sound
Tap the target ring in the corner of any tile to pin that sound. Favorites jump to their own section at the top of the grid, so the sounds you work on most are always one tap away. Tap the ring again to unpin.
Reorder the tiles
Press and hold a tile (or click and drag on a computer), then move it to arrange each section however you like. A quick tap still opens the sound. The hold is what starts a drag, so you can still scroll normally on a touch screen.
Sign in to save
Your favorites and custom tile order are tied to your account, so they follow you to every device you sign in on. Signed-out visitors always see the default layout.
Your account
Get Pro
Open Pro to see everything Pro unlocks and start a free trial. Have a code from your clinic or a promotion? Enter it under Have a code? on the same page. Check your plan or tap Manage subscription on My Account.
Free Pro for students
Pro is free for students. Open Pricing, find Students, and verify your school email with a six-digit code. Verification lasts 6 months; verify again every 6 months while you're in school.
Join your organization
If your clinic or school uses TargetTree, open My Account, enter the join code they gave you under Join your organization, and tap Join. Everyone with a seat gets Pro while the organization has it.
Manage your organization
Organization managers open My Organization from the menu to see how many seats are taken, share the team's join code, invite people by email, and choose who else can manage.
Choose email updates
Turn Email updates from TargetTree on or off in Settings. Emails your account needs, like password resets and organization invites, always arrive.
Get a clearer voice
Tap the speaker on any word card to hear it read aloud. TargetTree automatically uses the best voice your device has. The built-in default can sound robotic, so downloading a higher-quality voice (it's free) makes a big difference, and TargetTree picks up the new voice on its own.
Chrome or Edge (computer)
Chrome and Edge come with a natural online voice, and TargetTree uses it automatically whenever you're online, so there's usually nothing to set up. To add more system voices on Windows, open Settings > Time & language > Speech > Manage voices.
Safari (Mac)
Safari uses your Mac's system voices. Open System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content, click the System Voice menu and choose Manage Voices, then download an Enhanced or Premium English voice such as Evan (Enhanced).
iPhone or iPad
Open Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Voices > English, then download an Enhanced voice (tap the download icon next to it). This improves both the TargetTree app and Safari on the same device. You can also adjust the voice's timbre, pitch, and speaking rate in the same Spoken Content settings.