Good spelling apps are hard to find for several reasons. Firstly, many apps pronounce ‘a’ as its capital ‘A’ and secondly, many apps don’t chuck letter sounds together. For example, the sound ‘ck’ is often pounced in an app as ‘C’ and then ‘K’. I’ve found a free app called ‘Build a Word Express‘.

As you can see from the image to the left, this app chunks letter sounds together. The free version of this app allows access to built in spelling lists ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘-ck’, ‘-sl’ and  ‘-cl’. It is worth downloading the app to see what you think.Unlimited custom spelling lists and all spelling lists each cost $1.99 to unlock.

For teachers who don’t have iPads ; Woodlands Literacy Zone, by Mandy Barrow offers a wealth of free online resources for words and spelling games. These online resources are engaging for students and work well on any Interactive Whiteboard.