For dyslexia

Wordshark is recommended by teachers and educational psychologists who know that the program can make all the difference.

Needing extra help at home

A child who is struggling to read and spell can easily fall behind, especially when there isn’t enough help in place to support them. Often they will compare themselves to other children, and are treated (or feel treated), as though they are stupid. This can lead to a loss of self-esteem, and make them anxious and stressed, both at school and at home.

Computer games provide a non-judgemental way to learn spellings, without pressure and without the fear of failure. Wordshark exists because of the struggles faced by dyslexic students, and since 1995 has specialised in teaching reading and spelling.

Below are examples of how Wordshark works for children with dyslexia and other SEN

Engaging and multi-sensory: Dyslexic students benefit from Wordshark’s multi-sensory approach to games. They respond by using the keyboard, the mouse, by recording a word, using a touchscreen, or by saying the words aloud. The games also work well for children with dyspraxia, ADD, and ADHD, with extra settings and options to meet specific learning needs.

Motivation and confidence: The program keeps students motivated using the learning games and reward activities. Seeing their own improvement also provides encouragement and builds confidence. Each child can make progress at their own level and speed.

‘Overlearning’ and necessary repetition: The games allow students to go over the same words repeatedly without getting bored. This ‘overlearning’ helps those with poor memory or who need extra time to absorb the spellings.

Adding homework spellings: You can add your own words and pictures and record the words yourself. This provides a positive and fun way for children to learn their spelling lists at home. They can take as long as they need to feel confident that they know the words.

Commonly used words: Many common words are irregular so pose problems for dyslexic children. Wordshark’s High Frequency Words course gives children extra practice with these tricky words.

Alphabet and dictionary: As many dyslexic children find it hard to remember the order of letters in the alphabet, Wordshark includes alphabet and dictionary games.

Phonics options and games: Students with Special Needs such as dyslexia can really benefit from learning to read and spell by blending and segmenting words.

Used Wordshark for my daughter to help with her dyslexia (right up to age 17 with own word lists for her course work) but also use Wordshark for my 10-year-old son who is not dyslexic. The statutory word lists for years 3 through to years 6 have been fantastic to help him prepare for the SATs.
Username ‘JM’ – Parent, 5 STAR rating on Amazon

I have two dyslexic children, aged 11 and 7 and using Wordshark has made learning their spellings much more fun! They really benefit from the words being spoken aloud.
Jennifer King Brain – Parent, Yeovil

This is an amazing product for dyslexic children and even those that aren’t. It educates in a fun and playful manner. Very happy with the product.
Nathalie Degn-Petersen – Parent, 5 STAR rating on Amazon

I am so pleased I have bought both programmes. I blinked a bit at the price, but it is so comprehensive and well thought out, it is worth every penny. My little grandaughter was on it for an hour today patiently tackling new tasks.
I explained it was a new program and we both would need to have patience for a while until we got to know our way around. In fact, she took to it brilliantly. There was no grumpy face and folded arms when she did not understand the games… In fact, she gave our session a much longer attention span than our usual Beat Dyslexia work, where one simple page at a time is all she can take.
Kathleen Fry, Grandparent, Sheffield

My daughter, who is 11 and dyslexic, loves playing on these games. The software is incredibly clever as you can set it to cover which ever different aspect of phonic learning you are looking at. There are reward ‘fun’ games that help to keep the child’s interest. All in all I would recommend it wholeheartedly to any dyslexic learner.
Ivo Padovan – Parent, 5 STAR rating on Amazon

Dyslexia and other SEN – other help and advice:

• British Dyslexia Association bdadyslexia.org.uk
• Helen Arkell Dyslexia charity helenarkell.org.uk
• Professional association of teachers of students with specific learning difficulties patoss-dyslexia.org
• Dyspraxia Foundation dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk