Simplex Spelling Phonics 1

By Pyxwise Software Inc.

Pyxwise Software Inc. has recently launched Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 and it could not have come at a more appropriate time for Applicable2U. It is now the second trimester of our school year and my son, although he is 5, is beginning to dig deeper into the mechanics of spelling and reading in his kindergarten class. We have reviewed educational apps by Pyxwise Software in the past, so we were immediately intrigued when we read in their iTunes library description, “Simplex Spelling improves English spelling and reading skills by using a powerful combination of phonics lessons, spelling/word patterns, our unique “reverse phonics” approach and contextually relevant spelling rules.” Amazingly, within days of its launch, Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 was already on the Apple’s New and Noteworthy apps under the Education category. Through our exploration, we now know why! According to research, readers who use this approach will find learners succeeding at a higher rate than those using typical flashcards. As a child embarks on the road to spelling and reading there are five key areas that a child should focus on: vocabulary, phonemic awareness, sight words, phonics and comprehension. As you explore with this educational app, teachers and parents will quickly see how these five concepts have been integrated fluidly. Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 is accessible via most Apple devices running iOS 4.0 or later. Your spelling lists can now go where you go! With a year full of spelling curriculum which has over 450 high frequency words divided into 42 lessons, your child will be building their confidence as their base foundation of literacy is being established.

Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 can seamlessly be integrated into any homeschool, classroom or home environment. With the ability to create what appears to be an unlimited amount of user accounts, parents of multiple children will be thrilled that their child’s learning needs will individually be met. In addition, teachers will be pleased to see that a mobile device can now be a part of a learning center for their students. Whether using this application individually or with a teacher or parent, young readers will find a number of support systems in place along the way. Within the settings tab, users can work with either upper or lower case letters. Developmentally, this is very appropriate to focus on one or the other, however, still having experience with both. In addition, the keyboard layout can be changed to letters appearing alphabetically or like a real world keyboard. Regardless of which keyboard type you choose, letters will appear color coded, vowels will appear bluish/white in color and consonants will be red. Visually this is very effective for learners. When beginning a word list, your virtual teacher will briefly explain that sound or letter combination. Proceeding this explanation, the user will be required to spell words falling under that category. Along the way, additional supports are provided such as: a hint button, the teacher saying the desired word in a sentence and various visuals clues for right and wrong answers. If a user is unsure what a colored button will do, simply click the question mark at the bottom of your window and the Simple Spelling teacher will verbally explain. With a simple tap of their finger onto any user friendly tool, letters can be: viewed with a green checkmark, dragged from left to right, provided hints and deleted if necessary. Their finger is now a virtual pencil and an eraser.

So that learning is held accountable and parents and teachers can further instruct in an appropriate way, reports can be generated indicating words mastered and the number of attempts made within each word list. Strategically, word lists are organized very clearly as it starts with the basic sounds each vowel makes both short and long. Some might say that the English language is a bit tricky when it comes to those letter combination words (ie. “ai” or “ay”). As you progress from individual vowel sounds into the next lessons, users will begin to explore the complexities of these letter combinations. From there, lessons will touch on the blended sounds letter make. The overall purpose of this educational app is not to memorize, but to rather transfer this learning to become efficient readers and spellers with a solid comprehension of the phonics approach.

Applicable2U is truly excited with the updates that have been made from their other spelling application, Simplex Spelling HD. Whether you have a 4-10 year old, this application is applicable to you. For a simple .99¢ download, your child or student will be gaining a lifetime of academic skills that will be applied throughout their early stages of life. To learn more about Pyxwise Software Inc., please visit their website here. It’s time that you take the anxiety that can be built up in a child when reading and spelling with a simple download of Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 to your iTunes library here.