Introducing
Readiwriter
Spelling
The next-gen spelling program built with teachers to deliver meaningful spelling education.
We asked you to help us build a next-generation spelling program.
And you nailed it.
Teaching spelling is hard. We know, because we asked our Education Specialists, and they’ve got over a hundred years of teaching under their belts. Then we asked them to help our developers create a spelling program that would deliver a next-gen experience for teachers and prepare students for a future where they wouldn’t have to rely on auto-correct.
Spelling IS NOT …
- a fixed ability;
- a genetic gift;
- based solely on memorisation;
- dependant on reading;
- antiquated and unnecessary.
Spelling IS …
- a skill that can be learned;
- something that should be taught intentionally;
- more than an act of memorisation;
- a critical component of overall literacy.
We asked teachers all over the globe: What would make a spelling program work for you?
You gave us answers – a lot of answers. So we went to work. We built, tested, tweaked, debated, got on each other’s nerves, asked more questions and kept building until we had something that we’re proud to show – the world’s first education program developed hand-in-hand with teachers (we think).
Readiwriter Spelling makes the connection between spelling and communication
And, again, you helped us achieve that.
Because it’s one thing to build a next-generation spelling program that delivers meaningful spelling – it’s another to make it useful for teachers.
Here’s what you’ve told us, and how we’ve made Readiwriter work for you:
“I’m not confident with spelling – we never learned this stuff when I was in school”
Most of us didn’t either – so we built in the tips that our Education Specialists gave the rest of the team. Every time you’re taking your students through a lesson, whether it’s about why ‘-tion’ makes a ‘shun’ sound, what kind of words use ‘ea’ instead of ‘ee’, and what on earth orthography is, you can teach your lessons with confidence knowing we’ve got your back. Every lesson comes with a brief summary to help you understand and teach spelling concepts without having to check your phone.
“I barely get the time to teach spelling in-depth, it’s such a small part of our literacy program”
We packed a metric tonne of pedagogical might into Readiwriter Spelling. If you want to spend five hours every week training your students to be spelling masters, we’ve got everything you need. Or if you’re like 99% of teachers who have to weave time out of nothing, you can still help students develop a deep understanding of spelling through Readiwriter. Readiwriter was made for busy teachers to deliver quality spelling education in the time they have available.
“My students never maintain their spelling knowledge, it’s a waste of time”
Agreed – we want the time you spend on spelling to be meaningful. Readiwriter Spelling was designed to teach students spelling beyond weekly testing. Instead of ‘Friday’s Test, Monday’s Miss’, we’ve made spelling stick through a program that teaches students to recognise the patterns and rules that live in words, meaning we’re creating better spellers, not better test-takers.
“Just give me a program or word lists and leave me alone”
Done. Readiwriter holds 10,000 words, pre-built and customizable word lists, as well as list sets such as Dolch, OWL, Fry and NZCER. We built a spelling program you can open, find what you need, create what you can’t find, and have your students get on with it. As a bonus, students want to use Readiwriter by themselves, so you can set them learning layered in fun while you take care of the marking, reflect on lessons, or just take a breather.
“Spelling is boring. The kids hate it”
Spelling can be riotous. Outrageous. Fun. We know, because we made Readiwriter Spelling to teach spelling through gamified activities. Each activity is designed to engage students as it guides them through spelling concepts. Making learning fun is our bread and butter. You just wait to see what we do next.
Readiwriter’s Teacher Features
Easy differentiation
Readiwriter Spelling makes it easy for teachers to assign words at the right level for each student. Sorted into three levels, Readiwriter’s word lists provide a rich, shared class focus while allowing activities to be targeted at the right level for individual students or group.
Student and teacher personalisation
Readiwriter Spelling lets teachers edit and create their own lists using our enormous word bank. You can also create their own words to target the type of vocabulary students need to master to succeed and thrive in their classroom.
Targeted learning activities
All activities in Readiwriter Spelling are pedagogically designed to target specific linguistic skills, develop a well-organised and reliable lexical store, and enrich vocabulary knowledge. This helps teachers deliver meaningful spelling education to their students, creating better long-term spellers.
Live testing
Readiwriter Spelling provides a live classroom environment for pre-tests and post-tests, saving teachers time and effort by providing instant feedback at the beginning and end of a learning sequence. Results are easily accessible to both educators and learners, with incorrect spellings visible to allow teachers to make informed decisions about future learning.
Engagement
Student engagement is at the heart of Readiwriter Spelling. The student console puts the learner in charge, granting them access to all tools and activities. Activities such as Syllable Sushi, Magic Boxes and Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check are designed to captivate students’ interest, encouraging autonomous learning and discovering the joy of learning.
Reporting
Readiwriter Spelling’s teacher console has all the data on your students’ spelling, including their efforts, strengths and struggles. Displaying pre-test and post-test results, as well as results from individual activities, Readiwriter Spelling gives powerful insights into student progress.
“We had a go at the live spelling test yesterday and I thought it was brilliant! Almost exactly what I imagined when chatting to the developer and I think it has the potential to be an amazing spelling program to rival other schemes.”
We want to help build spelling confidence in students and teachers.
Become an early adopter of Readiwriter Spelling and use it, test it, and help us shape it – completely free for 2019.
