Spelling Made Simple

by Prenap

Product Features

• Custom lists can be created
• Provides statistics on improvement
• Audio for over 17,000 words included via automatic download through the Internet
• Built-in audio recorder
• CD includes a user guide with step by step instructions

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.4 x 5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• ASIN: B0011YN93E
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 26, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,993 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)

Product Description

Spelling Made Simple is a program that helps people learn how to spell. Lists can be made by typing them into the program so that any desired custom list can be created. Lists can also be created and learned quickly by dragging and dropping or copying and pasting text into the software. You can also download some lists from our site so that you don't need to create them yourself. You can see, and hear the word (based on the user's settings) and then type the answer which helps with the memorization process and is a proven method in learning how to spell. If the answer is wrong it will go back into the queue and be retried later so that the words that need more practice get tested more often. Statistics are kept with the intention that you can review improvement and review what needs to be worked on.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well thought out and effective program, February 8, 2008

By 

Mark Gardner "Mark" (Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spelling Made Simple (CD-ROM)

Pros: The developer has thought of everything (almost). I used trials of several programs before purchasing this one. I was extremely impressed with Spelling Made Simple and was even more impressed with the price for what I was getting. This may be the best value for the money of any software program that I have purchased. This was exactly what I was looking for. I was tired of being embarrassed in business and public settings because of my poor spelling. I especially like the fact that SMS has no animated characters jumping around on the screen saying cute things. I drill myself twice a day on the commuter train and quite often on plains and in airports. These animations would add to my embarrassment. My experience with other programs is that they were fun little games but very light on substance. The audio features on SMS are excellent. Downloading the audio for my own list of words was a snap. Recording audio for the few words that SMS did not already have recordings for was even easier. It has proven very easy to create my own lists or to use the lists from the SMS website. The drag and drop feature is especially easy for creating lists. I have found various lists of commonly misspelled words and have incorporated them into SMS. I also keep track of words that I have misspelled. Don't forget to download the SMS free Office Add On program. It automatically keeps track of all the words that you misspell while using Outlook or Word. It then loads them into SMS for you. It lets you differentiate between a typo and a true mispelling.

Cons: In all fairness, I must say that I wish I could sort the words in my spelling lists or move words up or down in the lists to put a word closer to a related word. The program requires that the words stay in the order that you enter them or it can drill you randomly. This is a minor thing compared to all the other very intelligent things that have been incorporated into the program. Also, be aware that this is a serious program and not really a game so it may not be suitable for kids under 7 or 8 years old.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We love Spelling Made Simple!, February 12, 2010

By 

Suz (Fort Worth, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spelling Made Simple (CD-ROM)

I am a homeschooling mom of three kids, two of whom (5th and 2nd grades) use Spelling Made Simple. Spelling made Simple is an amazingly elegant software program that is easy to program and easy to use, and highly customizable. I have not explored all the things that Spelling Made Simple can do. Check out the website (same name) for details of all the bells and whistles.

How we use it with my 5th grader: I have used several spelling curricula over the years (Spelling Power, Spell and Write, and currently K12 Spelling). The best things about Spelling Made Simple are that it works well with any program, and that it requires little to no supervision. At the beginning of the year I input the spelling lists, and it runs itself for the rest of the year. My daughter starts her unit by doing Spelling Made Simple twice, with the words being flashed on the screen for a couple seconds accompanied by audio. The program automatically re-tests words she got wrong, so she must spell every word correctly before she can move on. If she doesn't know the definition of a word, it can tell her that, too. These preliminary drills help the written exercises go faster. Before the spelling test, she runs through the list twice more, but with the words being flashed very briefly accompanied by audio. You can also use audio only. A word about the audio: Of an entire year's worth of spelling words, I think Spelling Made Simple didn't have ready-made audio for only a couple. My daughter is always happy when she sees Spelling Made Simple as her assignment.

For the past month, we have not used Spelling Made Simple because our computer crashed. I always knew I loved it, but didn't know how much I'd miss it till it was gone. My daughter now protests about studying for her spelling, she's often halfway through a unit before I get around to realizing she's not pronouncing words correctly, we've fallen behind on our tests because she avoids studying, and the tests she has taken, she has not done as well on. I e-mailed the administrator late last night, and by this morning it was up and running again.

How I use it with my 2nd grader: One day, out of the blue, my second grader asked to do Spelling Made Simple. This is my kid who has never asked to do anything academic, and here he is asking to do a subject he isn't even required to do. He also *loves* flashy video games, which Spelling Made Simple is not. But, I figured, I might as well let him try it; the license is per computer, not per user, so it wouldn't cost anything. And it's so fast and effortless to get started. Within moments he was ready to go. I just created a user name for him, loaded the first spelling list, and he took it from there. Since the computer crashed, he's asked me a couple times when he can do Spelling Made Simple again.

When the time comes, I will use Speling Made Simple for my youngest, too. My husband has been wanting to improve his spelling, and this would surely be a quick and easy way to do it. One of these days, I may even get around to doing it myself. We love Spelling Made Simple. I've recommended it to friends, family, and fellow homeschoolers. It's definitely right up there in my list of all-time favorite homeschooling purchases.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, June 4, 2008

By 

Katherine Daley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spelling Made Simple (CD-ROM)

It may be that this program is good for adults and older kids. I got it for kids ages 8 to 14, and this isn't a good program for them. The one advantage is that you can make lists for them to study, but there isn't much that they can do with them. A word flashes up on the screen and then you type it, that's it.