Spelling.live: Handwriting

Spelling.live turns your child's school spellings into real handwriting practice, on screen or on paper. No generic word lists. No typing drills. The real words, by hand, with feedback as they go. When a child starts correcting their parents' spelling, you know something is working. Built by a father of two, one in early years and one preparing for 11+, one with SEN. Spelling Live exists because no single app met all of it. THE SMART PART Get a word wrong and the app doesn't just say no. It works out why: a mixed-up sound, a missed mnemonic, letters in the wrong order, then gives a tip built from that mistake, not a generic hint. WRITE BY HAND, ON SCREEN OR PAPER Practice doesn't need a screen. Write the spelling list on ordinary paper, take a photo, and the AI reads the handwriting and marks each word. You review and fix anything it misread before it's saved, so nothing wrong slips into your child's record. It feeds the same progress reports as on-screen work. AI SPELLING COACH When a word goes wrong, the coach explains it: how to say it, a memory trick, a sound-by-sound breakdown, or a fix aimed at the exact mistake made, built from what your child actually wrote, not a generic list. FORMATION REPORTS Early years get a letter-by-letter grid showing which letters are well formed and which need work. Older children get a fluency score out of 100 that tracks handwriting quality over time. FLASH MODE Tap Flash and the word fills the screen, then disappears before writing begins: the digital version of look, cover, write, check. Parents set how long it flashes for. HOW CHILDREN PRACTISE Four ways in: multiple choice to warm up, typing for quick daily runs, saying the word aloud letter by letter, and handwriting it on screen with instant AI marking. Mix and match by mode or mood. PRACTICE MODES Play through the current list at their own pace, run dedicated 11+ test practice, or build a list in seconds by photographing a spelling sheet from school. PROGRESS TRACKING Every word lands in Mastered, In Progress, or To Revisit. Mark a word difficult and it comes back first. PRACTICE EARNS THE FUN Practice is the only way to earn. Correct words pay out points, which raise rank and avatar level, and coins, which buy plays of the arcade games. Games never hand out coins, and each purchase buys a set number of plays before it re-locks, so the only way back in is more practice. THE ARCADE Twelve games, unlocked with coins from real practice: Balloon Pop: pop the balloon with the correct spelling. Spell Buzz: neon cards fly past, tap the right one. Spell Sprint: an endless runner, dash through the correct next letter. Word Search: find every list word hidden in a letter grid. Word Builder: drag list words onto a board to connect them. Word Lock: spin letter drums until the word clicks into place. Ring: spin rotating rings to dial in every letter. Whac-A-Word: whack the letters in order as they pop up. Crossword: solve a crossword built from your child's own list. Letter Climb: climb girders grabbing the right letters, dodging barrels. Letter Maze: steer a maze collecting letters, dodging ghosts. Boggle: trace connected letters to find as many words as you can. CHALLENGE A FRIEND After almost any game, share a link. A friend plays the exact same words and layout, no account needed. A bit of competition with a grandparent, sibling, or classmate keeps the habit going. PARENT CONTROLS A parent unlock code keeps settings and purchases out of small hands. Each child has their own profile, list, games, and reports, so siblings practise independently. A Low-pressure mode toggle removes game timers, streak badges, and leaderboard prompts for a child who freezes under pressure. BUILT FOR REAL SCHOOL ROUTINES Photograph Friday's spelling sheet, and by Monday's test your child has practised those exact words, on paper and on screen, not a random list that happens to be in an app.