SpellQuizzer Review and Give Away

Last month, Dan from SpellQuizzer contacted me about reviewing SpellQuizzer on my blog. I happily agreed to do so, particularly when he offered to gift one of my readers with a free license to use SpellQuizzer!

After using SpellQuizzer, I have to admit that I would have thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread if I had not already discovered SpellingCity a few months ago. SpellQuizzer was very easy for me to use. I was able to record my sons' spelling lists for the week, complete with sentences to go along with each word, in about 10 minutes. Then, from that point forward, I was free from the time-consuming task of reading spelling lists to my boys for practice and testing purposes. We use Spelling Workout which consists of a pre-test and end of the week test. I also like to quiz my children over their spelling words mid-week so SpellQuizzer did the work of giving 6 spelling tests/reviews with my boys over the week!

For me, though, I am already used to using SpellingCity and I don't have to record the spelling lists there, so it was a bit more work for me to record my own lists. Dan, from SpellQuizzer, very politely pointed out three advantages of his product over SpellingCity:

• While SpellingCity requires that a child be on the internet to use the program, SpellQuizzer is installed on one's computer so no live internet connection is needed to actually use the program on the child's part. With concerns about internet safety, I think this is an important consideration.
• SpellingCity is limited in the spelling words that are recorded and available to use. While I have had no problems when using the spelling lists from Spelling Workout, there were a large number of words from the spelling list I made up for my daughter from "A Christmas Carol" that were not included on their database. So, if you regularly create your own spelling lists from the literature that your children are reading, SpellingCity may not be particularly useful. You can also use SpellQuizzer to quiz other facts - you are limited only by what you can type in and record.
• Once you purchase SpellQuizzer, it is yours to use indefinitely. SpellingCity may become a service that is not free or might cease to exist.

I found a few advantages of SpellQuizzer over SpellingCity while using it in our homeschool.

• When a child misses a word from their spelling list on SpellQuizzer, the correct spelling is given immediately after missing the word. At the end, the child can try only the words he or she has missed again.
• The program is SO easy to use! My youngest sometimes struggles getting to the correct list on SpellingCity but SpellQuizzer was easier for him to use.
• I could make up funny sentences and include my children's names in the sentences.
• SpellQuizzer is quite versatile. I can use this product to quiz my children on other facts, other than just their spelling lists. For example, I could record, "What city in Ancient Greece is know as the birthplace of democracy?" My child would type in - Athens.

Overall, I would recommend SpellQuizzer as a useful product for homeschooling parents. You can try SpellQuizzer free for 30 days by visiting SpellQuizzer's website and downloading the free trial.

Dan has generously agreed to give away one free license to use SpellQuizzer. If you would like to enter the drawing for a free license to SpellQuizzer, please leave a comment letting me know you would like to be entered in the drawing. This contest will run until 11:59 PM (EST) Friday night. At that time, I will use a random number generator to pick one of the comments and send the contact information directly to Dan. Dan will contact the winner with the information she needs to download her free license to use SpellQuizzer.