I Can Spell PLUS

I Can Spell PLUS provides more than thirty pre-set word lists to get you going. However, it is designed to make it very easy for you to set up your own lists. Once set up, they can be saved and given titles to suit you, e.g. 'Class 1', 'Kevin's list' or 'silent w'.

Balloons can be used for any activity where you want to separate words into two sections. Here you see initial blend tw and some alternatives. You could equally well be trying out the suffix ly or cvc words. The basic task is to match the sections correctly. An incorrect choice leads to the display of a list of correct choices and the statement 'That word is not on my list'.

The Race takes the player through the following stages:

• Look at a word.

• Say it – and listen to the computer saying it (with the option of the computer spelling it out in letter names or letter sounds). You can look and say as long as you like.

• Cover the word (there's no looking back now).

• Spell the word using keyboard or on-screen letter display.

• Check if it's right. If it is, the race goes on; if not a runner falls behind. The player tries to get to the end with at least one runner.

Ladders will look familiar to most children. In a 'ladders and levels' scenario, the letters of a word are displayed. The player has to climb the ladders and collect the letters in the right order – while avoiding the dangerous beast. The game can be simplified for those who need it. At the simpler level the target word remains displayed throughout and the beast is absent.

Scramble is an activity which ca be set up quickly and needs little explanation. Once an appropriate word list has been selected, the program rearranges the letters and the player has to resequence them correctly.

Magnet helps children to spot 'words within words'. Simply highlight letters within a word – e.g. perform in performance – and then click on the magnet. The letters will be drawn out and positioned above the original word. Carry on doing this up to a maximum of five words. If the program doesn't recognise your 'word', it will tell you so.

Corrections allows you to concentrate on common errors and encourage children to spot wrong spellings. The activity will display a mixture of correct and incorrect spellings and the task is to identify all the incorrect versions – whilst avoiding another dangerous beast. The program will generate misspellings but you can configure your own list to test those words which your pupils are always getting wrong.

Don't forget that I Can Spell Plus has a very powerful Search facility. This enables you to make your own lists very easily, especially if you wish to base one on a particular letter combination. For example, you can search for words containing igh, or ending in ious and quickly paste the ones you want into your next spelling list.