Oh Happy Daze: Spelling City … A Review

Spelling City … A Review

August 31, 2011

As a homeschool mom anything I can find to make life easier when schooling is highly coveted! So as I was searching the web for Spelling words for the kids a month or so ago and I came across this really great site called Spelling City! After a quick review over the content, I paid for the premium service with out a second thought.

Here’s what you do: First I made a “profile” for each of my three kiddos. Then all you do is either use one of their spelling lists or do like I do and enter in a list to use. I found a web site that had the word lists I liked and copy and pasted them into the “batch entry” box and saved it. The kids have their own screen names and they just log in and get to work. It is the first subject we do each day. I can send them in to work on spelling while I finish up any chores I need to or while I read the latest news via Facebook.

Anna (10), Adam (8), & Austin (15)

I tell them to go over their words with “Teach Me” button a couple time or with the “Flash Cards” button. Then they can start on the games.

Anna’s favorite game is the cross word puzzle.

Adam likes doing the word finds.

Austin likes the match up.

My favorite part is that I do not have to grade their work, Spelling City does that for you. It gives an account of each game they play and how they did on it as well as at the end of the week I tell them to hit the Test Me button and they are given a spelling test that calls the words to them and grades them. After I enter the words in I do not have to do anything else but look at their progress through out the week! If your state requires you to keep up with all the grades or of you want to document a good grade, their progress can be printed out as well as having the option for printed tests, handwriting practice, or other worksheets.

The other wonderful thing about this site is that it has vocabulary also! You can even pick which definition you would like to be the one used or write your own. The kids also get to practice their story writing skills using their words (but that is one thing you as a parent will have to grade.) On top of that it helps the kids have computer and typing skills!

To me it was worth the price of $24.99 a year for up to five students. That is a small price compared to all the books I have bought in the past as their curriculum that the kids would get sick of by the end of the year. With this program you will have more time to plan awesome projects in Science or History instead of being stuck grading 15 papers a week just for spelling!

I posted the link on Facebook when I found Spelling City because I liked it so much and recommend it to my homeschool mom friends. So when I saw on their Facebook page they offered to give a free year’s membership for reviews I jumped at the chance to brag on them!

Great Job Spelling City! Thanks for making my life easier!!

Disclosure:

I've been given a premium membership to VocabularySpellingCity.com for a candid, personal, online review.

VocabularySpellingCity.com helps students study word lists using 25 different learning activities such as MatchIt Sentences, HangMouse, and Word-O-Rama. Parents can create their own spelling lists, find published lists already available on the site, or use any of dozens of free teaching resources on topics such as analogies and compound words. Be sure to come back in three weeks to read about my experience.