A decade ago, when I stepped into the role of dyslexia center director for a school, the problem of my dyslexic students’ poor spelling was the second problem brought to my attention by classroom teachers. The first problem was that my students were not an easy fit into the established routine of the elementary classroom, but that is a long story for another time!

Poor spelling is a hallmark of dyslexia, going arm in arm with reading difficulties. Solving that problem became Job One for me, if I were to win over the classroom teachers who were unable to decipher sentences written by the students with dyslexia. Word lists helped, but were a lot of trouble and kept getting repurposed then subsequently lost. One year students in the Dyslexia Center produced a short film, and sold copies to raise money to purchase small, hand held electric dictionaries. These were a huge leap forward from word lists or the useful but painfully titled “Bad Spellers’ Dictionary.” The problem with them was battery life and preloaded games. You can see where I am going with this, can’t you?

Enter, the App Store. A lot of progress has happened in the decade since I first hung my “Dyslexia Center” sign on the single classroom of an elementary school with a very brave principle. There are now excellent choices for spelling aid apps which can be purchased for about five dollars and instantly put onto one’s phone or tablet for quick access. A favorite of mine is called “Easy Spelling Aid.” It is $4.99 from the App Store. It has a very simple screen with a microphone icon which is touched, then the word one desires to have spelled is simply spoken. The correct spelling appears seconds later. Homonyms can be spoken in a contextual phrase so you get the correct spelling. Here is a You Tube explaining how it works. For a dyslexic speller, it is the best way five dollars can be spent today!