SpellQuizzer Review and a giveaway!

I was contacted recently by Dan Hite, the developer of SpellQuizzer, to ask if I would review his spelling software program.  I enthusiastically agreed.

SpellQuizzer is  spelling software that quizzes children on the spelling lists that you choose!  The children and I have put SpellQuizzer through its paces for a week of school now.  Was it helpful?  In a word, yes.

SpellQuizzer was very easy to install and get "up and running."  Dan includes videos on his website that succinctly demonstrate how easy it is to use this program.  I loved the fact that I can record my own lists of spelling words/sentences to coincide with what we are studying right now.  In addition, there are a substantial number of spelling lists (frequently misspelled words, Dolch sight words, etc.) available for free download on the SpellQuizzer website.

In the past we have used Spelling Power as our spelling program of choice.  I love its comprehensive, multisensory approach.  I also love the fact that it is nonconsumable.  The problem I've had with Spelling Power is the time it takes for me to dictate spelling lists every day.  With even 15 min/child/day, that works out to at least 1 hour, 45 minutes/day for me to fit into an already busy schedule.  Unfortunately, spelling has too frequently been dropped from our schedule.

Enter SpellQuizzer!  In order to test the program I simply downloaded the ability-appropriate spelling lists from the SpellQuizzer website and assigned all of the children to work on their lists each day.  SpellQuizzer dictated, word by word, each child's spelling list to them and gave them opportunity to re-try the missed words. By Thursday they had learned their words and were ready to move on to a new list.  Success!

In the future I plan to integrate SpellQuizzer with our Spelling Power lists by having Hannah record spelling lists prior to each week of school.  I am encouraging the children to utilize the multi-sensory spelling study sheets from Spelling Power as they work on their lists in SpellQuizzer.  For each word that they miss on the initial SpellQuizzer quiz, they will write the word on a spelling study sheet and go through the steps to master the word.  SpellQuizzer definitely targets auditory learners, so this should help children who have different learning strengths.

SpellQuizzer's simple interface is very intuitive and easy to use... almost no learning curve.  The recording feature works well and is not tedious at all.

The only "negatives" that I saw were that there is no way to enter separate "user accounts" right now.  One way to work around that would be to title your spelling lists, including each child's name in the title.  In addition, there is no record for me to access at the end of the day to see each child's score.  Dan tells me that he has plans to include both of those features in the next update to SpellQuizzer.

Would you like to win your very own copy of SpellQuizzer?  I thought so!  Dan has generously offered to give give away one SpellQuizzer license.  Yay!

Here's how to enter:  simply leave a comment below (with correct spelling! LOL!) for one entry.  For an additional entry, mention this give-away on your blog and leave another comment here, letting me know that you did that as well.  I will randomly choose the winner in one week, on Saturday, September 4, 2010.

Happy spelling!