Every practice day, children spell more words from memory.
We followed every word children met on four or more days in SpellingJoy. Each day the word came back, more children spelled it right on the first try, even when they only heard it.
Words spelled right from memory
First try, by the day a child met the word
85.3%
+7.8 pointsmore words right from memory by the 4th day with a word than on the 1st
71%of words a child got wrong were spelled right about a week later
92%of words a child got right were still right about a week later
86%of missed words came back right about a week later in the top 10% of classes
Based on 4.3 million spelling attempts by 32,810 students.
See the numbers
Words spelled right on the first try, by practice day
Day with the word
Word heard, never shown
Word shown first
1st day
77.5% (10,500 words)
87.1% (70,954 words)
2nd day
81.3% (10,805 words)
90.0% (70,649 words)
3rd day
83.9% (11,012 words)
91.3% (70,442 words)
4th day
85.3% (11,158 words)
91.9% (70,296 words)
SpellingJoy practice data, January to November 2026: 4.3 million spelling attempts by 32,810 students. First try of each day, on words a child met on four or more days. “About a week later” is a median of 6 days. Top 10% of classes: among 438 classes with 30 or more missed words. This is practice data, not a controlled study. Updated November 14, 2026.
Where should your child start?
A free adaptive test, under 10 minutes, finds the exact week to begin, no signup needed.
SpellingJoy Reading teaches a child to read, one sound at a time. A buddy of their own says the sound, shows the letter, and waits for them. 360 lessons, in the same sequence as UFLI Foundations.
Teachers, parents, and homeschoolers - in their own words.
★★★★★
Our learners LOVE spelling joy! When I first started I only had a few lessons set up and they flew through them promptly requesting more work - we are an Acton Academy and learners can move at their own pace!
Kaitlin K.Head of School
★★★★★
My class asks for it. It is free. And it saves me time every week, the tests grade themselves.
Socorro Alvarez3rd grade teacher
★★★★★
Engages my fussy child who likes the Duolingo style but finds other spelling work boring.
Tim WHomeschooling parent
★★★★★
A few things: the ready-made lists match what I already teach, the tests grade themselves, I can add my own word list, and it cut down my weekly spelling prep.
Rachel BrownTeacher
★★★★★
It works for all of my kids at their own levels. They love that they can have the app on their phone to complete spelling tasks! worksheets are great and super easy to print!
Tamara KHomeschool parent, 6th to 8th grade
★★★★★
It is easy to practice with. My students join with a code, no school emails. And it works on any device, my class asks for it, the kids enjoy it.
LidwinSpecial Educator
★★★★★
I love that it is free, I could use my own list of spelling words, and it was easy practice for my nine year old.
TraceyHomeschool Mom
★★★★★
For us, my child seems more confident about spelling.
Dr. R.D. SathiyaProfessor, parent
★★★★★
We've been using SpellingJoy and my child does not need an email or a password and we print the worksheets for practice at home.
May h.Parent
★★★★★
We've been using SpellingJoy and it saves me time every week, it is easy to practice with and it is simple to use.
ArielHomeschool parent
★★★★★
What I would say is that it is easy to practice with.
allisonGrade 5
★★★★★
For us, the kids enjoy it.
Colton1st grade
★★★★★
Our learners LOVE spelling joy! When I first started I only had a few lessons set up and they flew through them promptly requesting more work - we are an Acton Academy and learners can move at their own pace!
Kaitlin K.Head of School
★★★★★
My class asks for it. It is free. And it saves me time every week, the tests grade themselves.
Socorro Alvarez3rd grade teacher
★★★★★
Engages my fussy child who likes the Duolingo style but finds other spelling work boring.
Tim WHomeschooling parent
★★★★★
A few things: the ready-made lists match what I already teach, the tests grade themselves, I can add my own word list, and it cut down my weekly spelling prep.
Rachel BrownTeacher
★★★★★
It works for all of my kids at their own levels. They love that they can have the app on their phone to complete spelling tasks! worksheets are great and super easy to print!
Tamara KHomeschool parent, 6th to 8th grade
★★★★★
It is easy to practice with. My students join with a code, no school emails. And it works on any device, my class asks for it, the kids enjoy it.
LidwinSpecial Educator
★★★★★
I love that it is free, I could use my own list of spelling words, and it was easy practice for my nine year old.
TraceyHomeschool Mom
★★★★★
For us, my child seems more confident about spelling.
Dr. R.D. SathiyaProfessor, parent
★★★★★
We've been using SpellingJoy and my child does not need an email or a password and we print the worksheets for practice at home.
May h.Parent
★★★★★
We've been using SpellingJoy and it saves me time every week, it is easy to practice with and it is simple to use.
ArielHomeschool parent
★★★★★
What I would say is that it is easy to practice with.
allisonGrade 5
★★★★★
For us, the kids enjoy it.
Colton1st grade
★★★★★
Our learners LOVE spelling joy! When I first started I only had a few lessons set up and they flew through them promptly requesting more work - we are an Acton Academy and learners can move at their own pace!
Kaitlin K.Head of School
★★★★★
My class asks for it. It is free. And it saves me time every week, the tests grade themselves.
Socorro Alvarez3rd grade teacher
★★★★★
Engages my fussy child who likes the Duolingo style but finds other spelling work boring.
Tim WHomeschooling parent
★★★★★
A few things: the ready-made lists match what I already teach, the tests grade themselves, I can add my own word list, and it cut down my weekly spelling prep.
Rachel BrownTeacher
★★★★★
It works for all of my kids at their own levels. They love that they can have the app on their phone to complete spelling tasks! worksheets are great and super easy to print!
Tamara KHomeschool parent, 6th to 8th grade
★★★★★
It is easy to practice with. My students join with a code, no school emails. And it works on any device, my class asks for it, the kids enjoy it.
LidwinSpecial Educator
★★★★★
I love that it is free, I could use my own list of spelling words, and it was easy practice for my nine year old.
TraceyHomeschool Mom
★★★★★
For us, my child seems more confident about spelling.
Dr. R.D. SathiyaProfessor, parent
★★★★★
We've been using SpellingJoy and my child does not need an email or a password and we print the worksheets for practice at home.
May h.Parent
★★★★★
We've been using SpellingJoy and it saves me time every week, it is easy to practice with and it is simple to use.
ArielHomeschool parent
★★★★★
What I would say is that it is easy to practice with.
Spelling practice that works on its own. 10 minutes a day, steady progress, no pressure on the adult in the room.
Built by parents, used in classrooms
Steady progress in 10 minutes a day
Designed for busy classrooms and busy homes
Homeschool English · Ages 5-10
Start the school year with a reading habit that sticks
A voiced, 20-minute daily English lesson your child plays on their own: phonics, reading, vocabulary, and writing on a real scope & sequence per grade (K-5). You get the weekly report.
Reads aloud Listens to them read Coaches their writing
Yes. Spelling practice is free for teachers, students and families: unlimited spelling games, unlimited tests, 134+ word lists, custom list creation and progress tracking, with no credit card. Optional paid products are the school license, the SpellingJoy+ printables membership, and the separate Reading and ELA programs. Each one shows its price before you buy.
Why is SpellingJoy free?
We believe every child deserves access to quality spelling practice, regardless of their family's budget. Our mission is to help kids succeed - not to maximize profit. SpellingJoy is supported by our community and built with love by parents who wanted better tools for their own kids.
Are there any hidden costs or in-app purchases?
No. Spelling practice and the classroom tools are free, and you do not need a paid school license to use them. The school license, the SpellingJoy+ printables membership and the separate Reading and ELA programs each have their own clearly stated price.
How does SpellingJoy compare to paid spelling apps?
SpellingJoy offers features that paid apps like VocabularySpellingCity (paid classroom license) charge for: free spelling games, custom word lists, progress tracking, and K-6 curriculum coverage. The main difference is we focus specifically on spelling practice, while some paid apps include additional subjects.
Is SpellingJoy free for schools too?
Teachers and students use SpellingJoy for free. A school can buy a school license, which adds a school word-list library, printing materials, reports, a management space and support. See spellingjoy.com/schools-and-districts.
What's included with SpellingJoy?
SpellingJoy includes unlimited spelling games, unlimited spelling tests, 134+ pre-made word lists, custom list creation, text-to-speech pronunciation, instant feedback and scoring, child-friendly avatars and rewards, progress tracking and analytics, works on any device, and multiple child profiles - all 100% free.
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