Who will benefit from using Spellzone?
What does the spelling course cover?
What theory underpins the spelling course?
When is a student ready for Spellzone?
How should students use Spellzone?
What are the benefits of a site licence?
Spellzone provides a complete teaching resource for students aged six to adult.
As Spellzone is an online course, it can be used in school, college or learning unit and also by students for private study at home and on mobile devices. This offers a significant advantage over CD based or installed software that is only available on campus. Teachers have found that the ability to use Spellzone at home makes it popular with parents who are keen to support their son or daughter's school work.
Spellzone is very suitable for supervision by teaching assistants. Previous experience in teaching spelling is not needed, as Spellzone provides a complete teaching course and all teaching points are presented clearly, in a logical progression. Many students will be able to work on Spellzone entirely by themselves.
It is estimated that the specific learning difficulty of dyslexia affects around ten percent of the population. Spellzone can be used in Learning Support Departments and is particularly suitable for dyslexic students. Please see Spelling and Dyslexia and What theory underpins the spelling course?
Spellzone can also be used in regular English classes with other pupils needing help with spelling, for example those whose first language is not English. A translation feature enables them to see word lists in any one of 92 languages and the Spellzone dictionary allows learners to check the meaning of most unfamiliar words.
Spellzone can be adapted to the needs of any individual by uploading your own word lists; these can then be practised with our spelling games and tests.
Most teachers have to demonstrate results and provide reports on students progress. For assessment purposes all Spelling Ability Test results, course results, and level of engagement are stored securely online. These can be evaluated and reports download at any time.
The Spellzone Spelling Ability Test measures a student's spelling ability, provides a baseline 'Spellzone Score' and creates a personal 'Course Pathway'. This may include units from the Spellzone Starter Course and the Spellzone Main Course.
The test is repeated at key points and the scores and pathways updated according to the progress made keeping the student on track with little intervention.
The Spellzone Starter Course
The Spellzone Starter Course is an entry level resource. It will help all learners, including Primary pupils, older students who are still struggling with basic spelling concepts, lower level users of English such as ESL and EAL students who are completely new to English spelling, and those with difficulties such as severe dyslexia.
The Spellzone Starter Course teaches the basic phonic rules of how to spell short vowel sounds and hard consonants with just one letter using multi-sensory activities and tests.* All course word lists follow a structured, cumulative approach. Each page deals first with sounds new to that page and then includes sounds from earlier lists. Only those sounds that have already been introduced are included.
At the end of the Starter Course users will understand the basics of English spelling and be ready for the Spellzone Main Course.
* Double consonants (e.g. ll, ss, ff, ck) are taught in Unit 2 of the main course and 'qu' is in Unit 3. Irregular spellings of short vowels (e.g. head, want) are in Unit 6. Later Units of the main course cover all other spelling rules.
The Spellzone Main Course
The Spellzone Main Course is ideal for older learners: teenage to adult. It is suitable for:
The Spellzone Main Course consists of over 450 web pages, divided into 36 units, covering all the main topics of English spelling. This is supplemented by hundreds of word lists to use in practice games and tests. The aim is not just to test spelling, as other programs do, but also to provide a comprehensive teaching course.
The Spellzone Main Course assumes that users that can spell phonically simple words with short vowel sounds and hard consonants, for example run, sit, stand, jump. It includes:
The Spellzone course combines traditional methods of teaching spelling with current research into this topic. Learners are encouraged to use multi-sensory methods:
Multi-sensory methods are particularly suited to people with spelling difficulties such as dyslexia. Most of us perform better in some areas than others. Students who have strengths in visual memory but difficulties with auditory perception will benefit from the way Spellzone presents words grouped together firstly by their sound, then sub-divided according to visual spelling pattern.
By the time they reach secondary education most dyslexic learners have some knowledge of sound/symbol relationships: for example, they may know that the letters er. ur and ir make the same sound when reading but are unsure which sound to use in spelling. Using Spellzone will help them to clear up these confusions.
Normal conventions are used to help with the understanding of sound. For example, obliques are used to signify the sound (phoneme) that letters make: /sh/. Short vowels are shown by a breve: ă. Long vowels are shown by a macron: ā.
When looking at spelling rules, the course is carefully structured so that knowledge is gradually built up. For example:
Only a small amount of pre-knowledge is required before using Spellzone. It is assumed that students will be familiar with normal website usage, for example links, scroll bar and the 'back button'. Great care has been taken to make the site user-friendly.
Students who are working independently will need a reading age of about 7-8 years. This should not cause a problem as most people with spelling difficulties do find that their reading is at a rather higher level. Those with a lower reading ability can still use Spellzone with the support of a tutor.
The main course assumes that they will have a knowledge of basic sound-symbol correspondence for consonants e.g. /g/ as in golf, /r/ as in random, /t/ as in traffic and the short vowel sound e.g. /a/ as in bag, /e/ as in peg, /i/ as in lid, /o/ as in pop, /u/ as in rub.
This means they will be able to spell simple words such as run, sit, stand, jump. The consonant variations e.g. qu, ph, wh, soft c and g etc., plus all vowel sounds, are taught during the course. Those with a lower ability can start using the Starter course.
If you are unsure of where to start your students, the Spellzone Spelling Ability Test will measure their spelling ability, provide a baseline 'Spellzone Score' and create a personal 'Course Pathway' for each individual. These may include units from the Spellzone Starter Course and the Spellzone Main Course.
The test will be repeated at key points during the pathway and the score and course pathway updated according to progress made keeping them on track.
Some learners may choose NOT to use the Spelling Ability Test to create a personal 'Course Pathway'. In this case it is possible to work through the complete course or use it as a 'dip-in' resource to fill gaps in knowledge.
When working through a typical unit we suggest the following progression:
A subscription entitles the staff and students of a school or college to use all of the Spellzone spelling resources on their school, college or learning centre computers, their home computers, and mobile devices. This makes it a more flexible resource than a CD based program.
In most schools the teaching of spelling skills is regarded as the responsibility of the English Department but virtually all teachers have some written work to mark. Despite the increase in computer-based work, where spellcheckers are available, many assignments and most exams are still handwritten. Many exam boards are tightening their standards and marking down for poor spelling. Therefore the teaching of spelling is still very important.
By developing and following a consistent approach across the whole school, teachers can not only contribute to their students’ spelling improvement but also ease their own marking load by reducing the number of spelling mistakes made. Teachers can upload their own subject-specific word lists for practice with our learning activities and games, set classroom or homework tasks and create spelling worksheets for off-line practice. Students can also create their own word lists for use with the Spellzone spelling games and tests.
"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."
Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's HillConnect with us at: 
