While not flashy, this little program does an excellent job of helping children learn their weekly spelling lists. It cleverly allows the words to be recorded (if you have a microphone attached to your system) as well as entered through keyboard. Once a word list has been created and reviewed, kids learn their spelling words by playing eight fun games. There are the traditional word searches, unscrambles, and crosswords. But children can also play a variation of hangman with spaceships, and a fun worm game (similar to the one found on cell phones) where kids direct a growing worm to eat the letters that spell the word.
This program’s ability to pronounce the spelling words, allows this program to “test” the child’s spelling without the help of an adult. While the graphics are circa 1980’s and none of the games is unique, this compilation gives children a wide range of fun games that drill their spelling words.
If you just want kids to practice spelling, you don’t have to input your own list—the program comes with 1400 words on 70 lists for kids K-6th grade. There is no option to add definitions—this is simply a spelling program; but it makes learning those dreaded words a boon, not a bane.
A free trial version of Spelling Games is downloadable for 10 uses at www.kidwaresoftware.com. A portion of its sales are contributed to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.
All tech products are judged on a five star scale by looking at the following factors: fun, education, ease of use, value, and technical.
