Blog
Spelling tips, National Curriculum guides, and practical advice for parents and teachers.
- Turn your child's spelling log book into holiday practice 16 July 2026 Your child's spelling log book holds a whole term of words. Photograph it and spelling.live turns it into targeted holiday practice, no lists to build.
- The Name Is the Problem 14 July 2026 I named the app spelling.live, and then I had to keep explaining how to say it. Is it live, or live? The word gives you nothing - and that is the whole reason the app exists.
- Beyond Right or Wrong - The 18 KS2 Spelling Patterns Behind Every Mistake 9 July 2026 spelling.live doesn't just mark a word right or wrong - it recognises the exact spelling pattern behind the mistake, from silent letters to homophones, and explains it in plain English.
- Accessibility at Spelling.live: Why We Don't Stop at 'Meets the Standard' 6 July 2026 A round-up of the accessibility work we've shipped recently - dyslexia-friendly reading options, speech slow-down, low-pressure mode, and a mistake-pattern report - and why we treat the official standards as the floor, not the finish line.
- Practice-First Rewards: Coins You Earn by Spelling, Games That Earn Their Place 4 July 2026 We've rebalanced how rewards work in spelling.live so the games stay a treat, not the main event. Coins now come only from spelling practice, and unlocking a game buys a set number of plays rather than a permanent pass - so a little more practice is always what keeps the fun going.
- What's New on spelling.live - Three New Games, a Progress Report That Tells the Whole Story, and Lists Built From a Single Topic 1 July 2026 A round-up of everything we shipped this month: Boggle, Spell Sprint and Challenge mode for friendly competition, a progress report that finally breaks down every game and mode, a dedicated screen for building age-matched spelling lists from a topic, sharper handwriting recognition, and the compliance work now signed off.
- What's New on spelling.live - Sharper Practice, Smarter Lists, and the Word We Accidentally Banned 14 June 2026 A round-up of the improvements we shipped this week: your lists pre-selected and ready, AI word lists from a single topic, on-device handwriting recognition (Apple Vision, ML Kit and the web Handwriting API) with a cloud fallback, a writing pad that fits a phone in landscape, and an honest story about an over-cautious safety filter that blocked the word 'kick'.
- How We Keep Your Child's Data Safe 13 June 2026 Spelling.live is built for children, so privacy and safeguarding come first. Here's exactly what we do - parent-managed accounts, no AI training on your data, transient photos and voice, one-tap delete and export, and a published AI-provider review.
- The Skills Check - Find the Right Words to Practise (and Why It Beats a Spelling Score) 13 June 2026 spelling.live's new Skills Check is a feature-based spelling inventory: it works out which spelling patterns your child has mastered and which to work on next, then builds a focus list automatically. Here's the thinking behind it - and why it costs no credits.
- How spelling.live Helps Tricky Words Stick - Spaced Repetition Without the Flashcard Grind 11 June 2026 spelling.live now schedules each child's trickiest words to come back at the right moment, using a spaced-repetition approach built on real practice - no 0-to-5 self-grading, no flashcard chore.
- Photograph the Marked Spelling Test - Paper Practice That Updates the Reports 8 June 2026 Most school spelling still happens on paper. spelling.live's Paper practice reads a photo of your child's marked spelling test, updates their progress report, adds the words to practise, and even scores their handwriting - bridging paper and screen like no other spelling app.
- How Spelling.live Analyses Your Child's Handwriting - And Why It Matters 3 June 2026 Most spelling apps ignore how children form letters. Spelling.live uses AI vision to check shape, reversals, spacing and more - with instant feedback and a weekly formation report.
- How Spelling.live Credits Work - And How to Get More 3 June 2026 Spelling.live is free to use. Here's how our 50-credit monthly allowance works, why it exists, and what to do if you need more.
- Why We Don't Offer Guest Mode - And Why That's Actually A Good Thing 2 June 2026 We removed guest mode from Spelling.live - and it's the best decision we made. Here's exactly why a guest session could never show you what makes us different.
- How spelling.live's AI Progress Reports Keep Parents in the Loop 31 May 2026 spelling.live sends parents a weekly or monthly email showing exactly how their child practised spelling - sessions, accuracy, tricky words, and which modes they used most.
- KS1 Spelling Lists - Common Exception Words for Year 1 and Year 2 28 May 2026 spelling.live now includes ready-made KS1 word lists covering the Year 1 and Year 2 common exception words from the UK National Curriculum. Add them in seconds and start practising straight away.
- How to Use KS2 Spelling Lists - and Why Hiding Old Lists Helps Your Child Focus 28 May 2026 spelling.live now includes four ready-made KS2 National Curriculum word lists. Learn how to add them in seconds, and why hiding mastered lists keeps your child focused.
- Look, Cover, Write, Check - Why Handwriting Still Matters in Spelling Practice 24 May 2026 The look cover write check method is one of the most effective spelling techniques. Here's how a digital handwriting spelling app brings it into everyday practice at home.
- AI Spelling Apps for Children - How Technology Is Changing How Kids Learn to Spell 23 May 2026 From phonics audio to voice dictation and AI-powered feedback, discover how the best AI spelling apps for kids go far beyond a simple word list.
- The Best UK Spelling App for KS1 and KS2 - National Curriculum Word Lists 22 May 2026 Looking for a KS1 or KS2 spelling app built around the UK National Curriculum? Here's what to look for, and how to practise Year 1 through Year 6 spelling words at home.
- How to Help Your Child Practise for a Weekly Spelling Test at Home 21 May 2026 Spelling homework doesn't have to be a battle. The right spelling homework app makes weekly test prep quick, effective, and far less stressful for primary school children.
- How to Import Spelling Words from a Photo - No More Typing 20 May 2026 The quickest way to set up a spelling list for home practice is to photograph it. Here's how a photo spelling app turns your child's homework sheet into a practice session in seconds.
- Why Spelling Matters in KS1 - And How to Make Practice Fun 1 May 2026 Practical tips for parents on helping Year 1 and Year 2 children build spelling confidence without the tears.