My Favourite Spelling Apps for Children with Dyslexia

Squeebles

Squeebles is a child-friendly app that gamifies spelling, making it fun and engaging. It includes interactive spelling tests that adapt to the child’s progress.

Dyslexic children may benefit from its focus on visual and auditory cues to support memory retention. The colourful interface, rewards, and cute characters make it a motivating tool for children who might otherwise find spelling challenging.

Key Features for Dyslexic Children:

• Customisable spelling lists and tests created by parents or teachers.

• Fun, visual rewards for correct answers.

• Audio support, allowing children to hear the words and their spellings.

• No pressure or time limits, which can reduce anxiety.

Spelling Shed

Spelling Shed is designed to help children improve their spelling through structured games and practice. It uses a tiered difficulty system, allowing children to work at their own level, which is crucial for dyslexic learners. Its simplicity in design and ability to track progress are useful for parents and teachers.

Key Features for Dyslexic Children:

• Differentiated difficulty levels, allowing children to start at their own pace.

• Leaderboards and achievements for added motivation.

• Integration of visual and phonetic learning strategies.

• Ability to work offline, providing a distraction-free environment for practice.

Twinkl Spelling Games and Tests

Twinkl offers a wide range of spelling games and tests that cater to various age groups and abilities. For dyslexic children, Twinkl's structured approach to phonics and spelling patterns can be particularly helpful.

Their resources often focus on breaking down words into manageable parts, which is an essential strategy for dyslexic learners.

Key Features for Dyslexic Children:

• A variety of engaging games that help reinforce phonics and spelling rules.

• Tailored resources for children with special educational needs, including dyslexia.

• Multi-sensory learning, combining visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities.

Sir Linkalot

Sir Linkalot focuses on using mnemonics and visual imagery to help children remember tricky spellings. This is a fantastic tool for dyslexic children, who often benefit from mnemonic strategies to enhance memory retention. It covers not just spelling but also grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary, offering a well-rounded literacy support system.

Key Features for Dyslexic Children:

• Clever mnemonics and visual clues for tricky spellings.

• Uses humour and storytelling to make learning memorable.

• Structured in short, digestible lessons, ideal for maintaining focus.

• Covers common patterns and difficult words that dyslexic children often struggle with.

Spelling Notebook

Spelling Notebook is a simple yet effective app that allows children to practice spelling words at their own pace. Parents or teachers can input spelling lists, and the child can work through them independently.

The app’s straightforward approach can be helpful for dyslexic learners, as it offers personalised, focused practice without overwhelming them.

Key Features for Dyslexic Children:

• Customisable word lists, enabling individualised learning.

• Allows recording of words, providing auditory reinforcement.

• Tracks progress, showing improvement over time.

• No distracting animations or time pressure, which can help children focus.

  
  
  
  

Why use Spelling Apps for Children with Dyslexia?

These are some of my favourite spelling apps for dyslexic children.

Not only our many of our children comfortable using their phones, but turning spelling into something fun that can be carried around pretty much everywhere can help encourage dyslexic children to practise more frequently.

These apps offer unique strengths for a dyslexic child. For instance, Sir Linkalot's mnemonic approach might work wonders for visual learners, while Squeebles and Spelling Shed gamify the learning experience to keep children engaged. Twinkl's phonics-based resources and Spelling Notebook's customisable practice can support individualised learning plans.

Depending on your child's preferences and needs, a combination of these spelling apps for children with dyslexia could provide well-rounded. There are other ways though, you can find some additional resources here, I hope you find them useful!