DoodleSpell Review

When it comes to spelling apps for kids, DoodleSpell is one of our favourites. A piece of writing, however imaginative or well constructed, will always be defined by any incorrect spelling of words contained within it.  Mastering spelling is achieved by a combination of learning the many different rules in English spelling and memorizing the exceptions, of which there are also many. This can only be done by continued practice and revision. Read on and learn why DoodleSpell is one of the best spelling apps for kids on the market today! 

What we love about DoodleSpell

Doodle Spell needs to establish a baseline by which to understand the user's ability.  Once this is done, by completing a few sessions with this spelling app for kids, the learning truly begins. Here children undertake their daily task and can then use, if they wish, the revision and other sections of this spelling app.

As spelling questions cannot be set in a written format without giving the game away, spelling apps often struggle with how to do so.  Pictures can be used, missing words in sentences are another option, and the spoken word is a further way.  Apps that choose the first two alone often struggle with maintaining clarity as learners identify words that can be correctly used but have not been considered by the writer of the question. Only by combining questions with a spoken facility can clarity be maintained and that is what Doodle Spell has done. DoodleSpell uses Proxima, the same award winning technology that powers DoodleMaths and DoodleEnglish.

Is the DoodleSpell easy to use?

When this spelling app for kids reads out the instructions, questions, and hints it does so using the device's built-in speech synthesis.  This is the only way that the app could have such an extensive array of questions and still be able to read them out.  Recording each word and sentence would make this spell app for kids enormous and, no doubt, prohibitively expensive.  

For the most part, the synthesis works well. It has the usual limitation of sometimes using a tone or inflection that does not quite suit the spoken sentence.  It also struggles with a small selection of words.  For example, on iOS devices, those ending in "ual", such as "visual" are pronounced strangely, and "anticlockwise" is understandable but the emphasis on the syllables is not where most speakers of English would place them.  The ability to hear a word in an appropriate sentence clears any confusion and these rare occurrences where it is not perfect won't really harm the learning experience - besides it is not a weakness of this spelling app for kids but of the device's own features.

How can DoodleSpell help my child learn to spell?

One of the best spelling apps for kids, DoodleSpell has a large collection of words that it teaches. These are well chosen to teach, test, and revise various categories of words.  It pays attention to word parts such as prefixes and suffixes and often phrases questions to push children to consider words of opposite and similar meanings.  They will also be challenged to break words into syllables.

There is an impressive array of question types.  Far more so than on other spelling apps.  Learners' interest is maintained by typing words, constructing words from letter tiles, picking out words from grids, slashing them into syllables and many others.  These prompt different ways of thinking about the spellings of words and reinforce what children have learned.

There are a couple of bonus options such as the inclusion of a simple drawing suite.  More closely linked to the main focus of this kids spelling app is a collection of mini-games that are built around word spellings.  One follows the hangman format and the other is the similarly popular format of picking out as many words as possible from a 4x4 grid of letters.  The latter one is actually quite a fun challenge for people of all ages and can be a way for children and adults to have some good-natured competition as they strive for the highest score.

Assuming you choose to allow it,  the app will prompt children at a set time each day to engage with it.  This spelling app for kids designers recommend it is used daily for short sessions so this notification could be incorporated into a child's daily routine.

At the time of this Doodle Spell review we found tracking facility is detailed and useful.  It lists accomplishments as well as how and when the app was used.  Learners and parents can easily look at these, and if they choose, make it available to teachers.  If a link is made between a learner's account in this app and the school, they can also compete and communicate with their school friends.

How much does DoodleSpell cost?

A subscription to DoodleSpell also gives you full access to DoodleEnglish. For more information or support visit www.doodleenglish.com/faq-for-parents/. You will need a subscription in order to get access to the premium version of DoodleSpell (unlimited use of the app; full access to work programs; online parent dashboards; strength and weakness analysis; email reports; etc.). Your subscription will also allow you full access to DoodleEnglish – find out more at www.doodleenglish.com.

There are three types of subscription available:

• One-month subscription per student – £5.99
• Annual subscription for per student – £55.99
• Lifetime subscription for per student – £169.99

The one-month subscription will be automatically renewed unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current payment period. Your iTunes account will be automatically charged at the same price for renewal within the 24 hour period prior to the end of the current payment period unless you change your subscription preferences in your iTunes account settings. When a subscription is cancelled, access to DoodleSpell work programmes and features will expire at the end of the current payment period. Lifetime subscriptions apply to the named student only. Lifetime subscriptions are not transferable between users.

There are many apps that claim to help children improve their spelling but Doodle Spell rises above them with its variety of questions, useful support mechanisms, and well-designed approach to enabling learning and revision.

You can download DoodleSpell Review on your iOS or Android devices from the app stores. Download the DoodleSpell Review app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.