SpellingTime.com
© 2006 Synergy1 Group, Inc.
Responsive and free, this talking, Flash-based online spelling service is designed from the ground up to help an elementary student with that dreaded Friday weekly spelling list. There are three types of memberships — individual, student and classroom. Using a management screen, parents, children or teachers can enter their own spelling words. These lists (up to 20 each week) are saved on the remote server. All a student needs to do is remember his or her screen name and password, so the program could be used both from both home or school settings. The best part about this program is the way the spelling words are presented — in a clear, spoken voice, used both alone and in a sentence. This is remarkable considering that everything is streamed through your browser. After each quiz or test, children can earn game coins to play an arcade games to shoot hoops, capture flying bugs, and so on. We were able to successfully sign up for an account, create a custom spelling list with words like "separate" and "fishgig" (both were already in the database) and get started. Words not in the database can be requested. So what's the catch? We're honestly not sure. Not only is this program easy to use, but it meets a need every elementary student eventually has. When we reviewed it (December 2006) there were no ads, and we noticed no offers for subscriptions. This service is certainly good news for home-schoolers or teachers on a budget. Note that as of January 2006, Flash Player 9 is required to run the program, which is available as a free download. We tested the program using Safari on a Macintosh with no problems.
Internet Site
Teaches: spelling, language, reading
CTR Rating: 92%