Minimal Pairs Academy8.0 - App Store

Minimal Pairs Academy (MPA) Developed by Smarty Ears - Trusted by over 250,000 educators worldwide!

Welcome to the all-new Minimal Pairs Academy 8.0! Completely redesigned from the ground up, MPA is the premier evidence-based speech therapy app designed to help children overcome phonological sound disorders. Combining decades of clinical research with a stunning, kid-friendly interface, MPA empowers Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), educators, and parents to deliver highly engaging, effective therapy.

WHAT ARE PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES? Phonological processes are predictable patterns children use to simplify adult speech. The "minimal pairs" approach pairs a child’s typical error sound with its correct target (e.g., "Bow" vs. "Boat"). This research-supported method helps children recognize the contrast, reducing homophone errors and rapidly improving overall speech intelligibility.

23 AGE-CODED PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES Navigating goals has never been easier! MPA features over 900 target words categorized into 23 distinct phonological processes. To save SLPs valuable time, targets are now visually categorized by developmental age of mastery (Ages 3 to 6, plus Atypical patterns), helping you select the perfect goals for every student instantly.

4 INTERACTIVE THERAPY MODES Keep kids engaged with four distinct, gamified learning activities-now featuring our beloved mascots and interactive "pop and jiggle" sticker cards!
Auditory Bombardment: Immersive exposure to target words using a visual grid with rich auditory cues.
Auditory Discrimination: Test listening skills by having the child identify the correct sound from a minimal pair.
Production Practice: Real-time speech practice! SLPs can score accuracy (Got It, Almost, Missed) while utilizing the built-in Voice Recording tool so children can hear their own speech.

Phrase Completion: Fill-in-the-blank exercises using visual minimal pairs to promote carryover into connected, conversational speech.
MULTIPLAYER GROUP THERAPY Maximize your session efficiency! The new dynamic left-hand sidebar allows you to run group therapy sessions with up to 4 students at a time. Seamlessly switch turns, track individual goals, and keep everyone engaged without missing a beat.
ADVANCED DATA & REPORTING DASHBOARD Say goodbye to manual data tracking! MPA 8.0 introduces an incredibly powerful analytics suite designed for data-driven decisions:
Statistics Dashboard: Instantly view Total Sessions, Total Time, Mastered Targets, and Therapist Notes.
Detailed Spreadsheets: Review session dates, exact durations, group sizes, and accuracy percentages (with and without cues).
Visual Graphs: Track long-term progress visually.
Export & Print: Easily export, email, or AirPrint report cards directly to parents or IEP files.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE Built by SLPs, for SLPs. Grounded in linguistically based treatment procedures proven effective for children with multiple sound disorders (Saben & Ingham, 1991) and supported by research on meaningful communication (Barlow & Gierut, 2002).
Minimal Pairs Academy - Empowering speech, one contrast at a time.

Version History Welcome to the biggest update in Minimal Pairs Academy history! We’ve completely rebuilt the app from the ground up to make your speech therapy sessions more engaging, intuitive, and data-driven than ever before.

Here is what is waiting for you in Version 8.0:

Massive Visual Redesign Say hello to a gorgeous, modern new look! We’ve updated our mascots and introduced beautiful "sticker-style" interactive cards featuring playful new "pop and jiggle" animations designed to keep children focused and entertained.

Age-Coded Target Selection
Therapy planning is now faster than ever. Our newly redesigned menu visually categorizes all 23 phonological processes by the developmental age of mastery (Ages 3 to 6+ and Atypical), helping you instantly select the perfect goals for your caseload.

All-New Analytics Dashboard
We have completely overhauled our data tracking! Dive into beautifully redesigned Statistics, Spreadsheets, and Graph views. You can now track exact session durations, accuracy percentages, and mastered targets with pinpoint precision. 8.0 Mar 5 • Code updates for improved performance
• Minor bug fixes
• Stability enhancements 7.1 10/08/2025 Great new! We have updated the user interface of the reports section to match the entire look and feel of the app. On version 6.0 we upgraded our code to iOS 13, and also made some small bug fixes to keep your app running smoothly. 6.0 12/27/2019 We have improved the user interface of three screens 5.1 05/31/2019 Enhancements for iOS 12 4.2 02/16/2019 Updates for the latest iOS 4.1 09/12/2017 You will love this new update to Minimal Pairs Academy. We have improved so much of it! It is a completely new user interface and you will love it.
We have also added a reward audio and visual when users get the correct response. 4.0 11/12/2016 We have improved a variety of things on version 3.0:
1. Improved resolution of many screens within the app,
2. Removed the date of birth requirement for adding a player,
3. Added backup and restore via iTunes so you can backup your app data and protected it on your computer,
4. Add app to app center,
5. Added some fun intro music,
6. Added protection for children using the app. 3.0 11/02/2016 Fixed missing avatar bug 2.1 03/03/2015 - We have implemented One-Touch synchronization with the Therapy Report Center
- Fixed multitasking bug
- Added settings for word display
- Several small fixes
- Added Bluetooth support 2.0 11/10/2014 - Compatible with the Therapy Report Center
- Fixes small bugs
- New avatars 1.2 02/26/2013 - Add a "delete" button so you can "graduate" your students;
- Fixes bug associated with student's profiles 1.1 03/28/2012 1.0 02/09/2012