The What

So, I’ve decided to build my own spelling app. Why? Because I’ve seen up close how frustrating spelling can be, even for bright and motivated learners. Watching loved ones struggle made it clear how disheartening the process can feel. And when I looked for tools to help, most existing apps treated spelling as pass or fail, without giving learners the chance to learn from mistakes. I wanted to design something that makes room for trial, error, and persistence, so learners can grow at their own pace."

The Context

I’ve seen up close how bright, adventurous kids can find spelling, as well as reading and writing, really tough. As an education specialist, I’ve supported learners through those challenges, and I know how much persistence, effort, and patience it requires. Progress is always possible, but it’s rarely easy.

The fact is that students who are neurodivergent learn differently. They have different educational needs that should be catered to. I'm just a little surprised that in 2025, with all the technology and knowledge we have at our disposal, some apps and educators, totally ignore the needs of many students, expecting them to learn the same way that neurotypical students do. It doesn't need to be this way.

So, when it came to spelling , I wanted to take a different approach from what is already out there. I didn’t want the process to feel like another uphill battle. I wanted it to be fun, but still focused on learning, something that considered different learning styles, but also gave students the chance to fail and retry without pressure or fear.

This isn’t going to be an app for only a small section of the student population. Like the curb-cut effect, the inclusive principles behind it are designed to benefit everyone, not just the learners they were originally intended for.

The Build

Truth is, I’m already about four months in. Thanks to the power of AI (and some very deep rabbit holes), I’ve reached solid beta stage. Could it have gone faster? Sure, if I wasn’t so focused on the details.

So why am I writing about it now? Because I finally have something worth sharing, enough small wins, surprises, and headaches to talk about. Maybe even a few things that could save someone else time, whether they’re building for learning or just trying to figure out what makes good edtech.

Like… why is browser TTS so wildly inconsistent? Why is coding for Safari on iOS just like coding for Internet Explorer back in the day (if you know you know!). And why do so many apps that should make things easier for students with learning difficulties end up not doing that at all?

Come along

I’ll be writing more about all of this, especially from the perspective of an education specialist/developer. And I’ll share more about the journey with spellme.app in future posts.

For now, feel free to check it out, and if you’ve been through something similar, whether as a parent, teacher, or dev, I’d love to hear your experiences. Tips, feedback, warnings, they’re all welcome.