FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about SpellingKids, spaced repetition, and spelling bee preparation.
Spelling Bee Preparation
How long does spelling bee preparation take?
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Most students benefit from 8–12 weeks of consistent daily practice. With SpellingKids' spaced repetition algorithm, 15–30 minutes per day during this period is typically enough to build strong recall of grade competition words.
What is the best way to prepare for a spelling bee?
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The most effective strategy is consistent daily review using spaced repetition, combined with learning word origins (etymology). SpellingKids automates the SRS scheduling, and every card includes the word's language of origin to help you recognize patterns.
How many new words should I study per day?
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Research suggests 10–20 new words per day is the optimal range for most students. You can configure this limit in the SpellingKids app settings. Consistency over weeks and months matters far more than studying many words in a single session.
Why is etymology important for spelling bees?
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Understanding a word's origin helps you predict its spelling even when you've never seen it before. A student who knows that "photo" means light in Greek can spell "phosphorescent" with confidence. SpellingKids includes language of origin on every flashcard.
What grades does SpellingKids cover?
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SpellingKids currently has dedicated apps for Grades 1 through 8 — a total of 50,000+ curated competition words. Each app is calibrated to the vocabulary difficulty expected at regional and national spelling bee competitions for that grade.
Spaced Repetition
What is spaced repetition?
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Spaced repetition is a learning technique that schedules reviews of information at increasing intervals over time. Instead of reviewing everything every day, you review each item at the exact moment your brain is about to forget it — which research shows is the optimal time for memory strengthening.
How does spaced repetition work in SpellingKids?
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After each flashcard, you rate whether the word was Easy, Good, or Hard. The algorithm uses your rating to schedule the next review: Easy words are shown less frequently, Hard words come back sooner. Over time, each word's schedule adapts to your personal memory profile.
Is spaced repetition better than traditional flashcard methods?
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Studies consistently show that spaced repetition users retain 80–90% of material after 30 days, compared to under 20% for traditional methods. For spelling bee preparation where you need words locked in for competition day, this difference is enormous.
How long should each study session be?
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SpellingKids is designed for 15–30 minute daily sessions. The algorithm automatically manages how many cards appear in each session based on your new card limit and which reviews are due. You don't need to track anything — just open the app and study.
What happens if I forget a word I already learned?
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Forgetting is a normal part of learning. When you rate a word Hard, the algorithm immediately increases its review frequency. You'll see that word more often until it becomes reliably easy. The SRS system is designed to catch and correct gaps before competition day.
About SpellingKids
What is SpellingKids?
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SpellingKids is a free Android application that uses spaced repetition flashcards to help students in Grades 1–8 prepare for spelling bee competitions. It contains over 50,000 hand-curated competition words with IPA pronunciation, etymology, definitions, and audio.
Is SpellingKids free?
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Yes, all SpellingKids apps are completely free to download and use on Android. There are no in-app purchases, no subscription fees, and no premium features locked behind a paywall. Everything is available to every student from day one.
How many words are in SpellingKids?
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SpellingKids contains over 50,000 words across all grades combined. Each individual grade app contains approximately 5,000–6,500 words, organized into 30+ themed decks. Words are drawn from official competition word lists and carefully reviewed for accuracy.
Does SpellingKids work offline?
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Yes. The SpellingKids Android app works fully offline after installation. All word data, audio files, and your progress are stored locally on your device. You can study anywhere — on the bus, during a flight, or without Wi-Fi — and all your progress syncs when you reconnect.
How is SpellingKids different from just having a word list?
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A word list requires you to decide what to study, when to study it, and how often to review it. SpellingKids automates all of that through the spaced repetition algorithm. It also provides IPA pronunciation, etymology, definition, audio, and example sentences for each word — turning a flat list into a rich learning experience.
Spelling Games
What games does SpellingKids offer?
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SpellingKids includes two free browser games: Word Jumble, where you listen to a word and tap its shuffled letters in the correct order to rebuild it from memory, and Word Trivia, a quiz-show-style game where you read a word's meaning, hear it pronounced, and pick the correct spelling from four look-alike choices. Both are free and require no sign-in — play them at spellingkids.com/games.
How does Word Jumble help improve spelling?
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Word Jumble forces active recall — the child has to hold the whole word in memory and reconstruct it letter by letter from a scramble, rather than simply recognizing a correct spelling on a list. That struggle is exactly what strengthens long-term spelling memory, and it mirrors the real skill needed on a spelling bee stage far more closely than multiple-choice drills do.
How does Word Trivia help improve spelling?
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Word Trivia trains spelling recognition — the skill of spotting the one correct spelling among several plausible near-misses. Each round shows the word's meaning as a clue and speaks the word aloud before you choose, so kids also connect a word's sound to its written form, which builds vocabulary and listening skills alongside spelling accuracy.
Do the SpellingKids games cost anything or require an account?
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No. Both Word Jumble and Word Trivia are completely free, work in any browser, and don't require creating an account or signing in — just open spellingkids.com/games and start playing.
What word lengths can I practice in the games?
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Both games let you pick a word length from 5 to 11 letters (Word Jumble also supports 4-letter words), so younger spellers can start with shorter, simpler words while advanced students preparing for competition can push into 9-, 10-, and 11-letter territory.
Still Have Questions?
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