Good apps for spelling

[elfonshelf]

Looking for some help with spelling.

DD (7 and in Y3) is dyslexic and her spelling is atrocious. She's done phonics at school since Reception (pretty sure it was Jolly Phonics) and also had a year of remedial phonics after school during Y1 but really struggles with remembering phonemes and connecting the sound to the syllables.

Getting there with the reading, but writing has stalled. She's scoring 97th centile for verbal/non-verbal reasoning, 50th centile for processing speed but only 9th centile for working memory, so looks like that is where the real issue lies.

She seems to need to see something 50 times for it to sink in, but gets bored if things are too repetitive or babyish. Fights over homework can be epic, so I'm looking for something that might seem 'fun' and that she might do willingly. She's very good with tech stuff so apps would be preferable to books - especially if they work on Android tablets!

School are going to start 'Toe by Toe' and the Ed Psych mentioned Nessy in her report. I've seen references elsewhere to Wordsharks, Apples & Pears and Dancing Bears.

We play pairs and word snap, but other suggestions of good memory games or apps would also be great.

We have a 45 minute train journey twice a day so something that could fill that time would be perfect.

Squeebles spelling might work? You can set what spellings you want her to practise, and they earn squeeble characters that they can use to play a little game with at the end. My yr5 and yr2 kids both use it.

My DD is 7, year 3, dyslexic too. She likes squeebles (to practise school spelling words). Well, doesn't like it when she starts each set of spellings as she hates getting them wrong, but she improves and likes the games.

We also use a website called SpellingTutor to practise HFW. She hates it though but has made great progress.It involves handwriting out the sentences and then checking with the iPad.

It is very useful for a child to start to UNDERSTAND what spelling is all about.

A book a child can use on their own, or with adult support if necessary, is the Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary, and it is reviewed in the MN book reviews (search Phonics and my name). It presents spelling in a clear and enjoyable way for most children, though I don't know how children with dyslexia react to it (and I would be interested to hear any experiences from parents.)

Spelling Tutor is a great program for dyslexics. It's not too babyish.

I've used your book in school, Ferguson, and children have liked using it to look up spelling choices. However, dyslexic DD hates it and finds it very confusing to use. I'm not sure why - haven't pushed it as pushing against her is a recipe for disaster in every way.