Education and Training Awards 2020

Jun20095 Best Online English Spelling Course 2020 - Europe As the world continues to embrace an era of global cooperation, the importance of learning about different languages and cultures has become vital. Spellzone is an internationally available online resource that unlocks the mysteries of English spelling for students of all abilities. We look at Spellzone’s success and how the company will continue to thrive. For nearly twenty years, Spellzone has been at the heart of online education of the English language. Designed as a high-quality, affordable and educational resource, students aged six to adult have been able to benefit from its unique ways of working. At the core of Spellzone are three major components, the Spelling Ability Test, a complete spelling course and thousands of pre-loaded word lists. Together these make Spellzone a ‘one-stop’ online spelling resource. The Spelling Ability Test provides baseline scores for each student and creates individual learning pathways for improvement. The phonics-based spelling course covers all English spelling rules, including the differences between British and American English spelling. Structured access to word lists and lots of multi-sensory activities make Spellzone ideal for dyslexic and EFL students. All word lists can be translated into 92 languages and be used with spelling activities and games. Teachers can create their own subject specific word lists which can be set as classroom or homework tasks for individual learners or whole classes, making them perfect for exam preparation. Worksheets, including handwriting exercises, can be printed for off-line practice. The Spellzone team continually research and review their spelling resources. The feedback of specialists in the field and that of teachers and student users is the driving force for the ongoing development. As a browser-based platform, as opposed to a downloadable app, the benefits of any updates are instantaneously available to all users. This dynamic approach has been essential to the team’s success and has allowed the company to thrive. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the true potential of Spellzone. The company ensured that existing users were fully supported, and new users were provided with free introductory access to all resources. This move has allowed many more people to use Spellzone and see the opportunities it presents. Behind the success of Spellzone, is the team’s commitment to producing the highest quality resource for its customers. All design, development and SEO work are undertaken in-house by a talented and committed team. They provide efficient free and courteous support to all users, and online training for teachers to help them achieve the full potential of using Spellzone in their schools. Building on its success, the team plans to extend the scope of Spellzone’s resources and is currently working on new systems to encourage more interaction with users. These include a rewards system to engage students as they learn, extended reporting features for teachers and meeting the high demand for more spelling activities and games. The impact of Spellzone on language education cannot be understated, its agile approach allows it to keep up to date with the latest trends and has enabled it to provide invaluable support in the COVID-19 crisis. As education adapts to a ‘new normal’, this high-quality resource is available on-line in schools, colleges, homes and ‘on the go’ worldwide 24/7. So many people can benefit from the Spellzone’s creative approaches to learning and with such a strong legacy of success, the future seems bright for the Spellzone team. Company: Spellzone Name: Barry Perks Web Address: www.spellzone.com “The ability to find specific content for individual students and tailor learning support accordingly is superb. We’re very keen to make sure that work is specifically targeted to relevant age groups, and Spellzone makes this very easy to do. Being able to set tasks is another great tool, as it allows staff to set and mark homework quickly and easily.” - Alison Ridyard, Director of Literacy, King’s Leadership Academy