The science
Word Wizards is dyslexia-aware by design. Every mode is shaped by the same body of reading research — the methods with real evidence behind them, not classroom folklore. Here’s each principle, and exactly where it lives in the app.
Across independent meta-analyses, explicit, systematic phonics is the intervention with the strongest confirmed effect on reading and spelling for children who find it hard.
In Word Wizards
Sound-It-Out and the phonics exercises teach sound-to-letter patterns directly, in the spelling direction — not left to guesswork.
Spreading practice out — ideally at a fixed, roughly weekly interval — is one of the best-evidenced ways to move spellings into long-term memory.
In Word Wizards
A dedicated spaced-review lane brings mastered words back on a ~7-day rhythm, separate from daily play.
Recalling a word from memory is more durable than recognising it. Gradually fading support builds that recall.
In Word Wizards
The practice ladder fades from heavy hints toward typing from memory, and Look-Say-Cover-Write-Check is retrieval by design.
Being able to hear and separate the sounds in a word (phonemic awareness) is a distinct, high-value skill — strongest for blending and segmenting.
In Word Wizards
Sound-It-Out and Sound Clash train the ear alongside the eye, working with the sounds inside each word.
Text-to-speech is a recognised assistive support: hearing the word removes the decoding bottleneck so a child can focus on spelling it.
In Word Wizards
Every word can be heard, and re-heard, read in a clear, friendly voice — as often as the child needs.
Working-memory and processing-speed costs mean timers and red marks penalise the difficulty, not the learning. Short, success-heavy sessions protect fragile motivation.
In Word Wizards
No timers, no speed scores, no red 'wrong'. Everything is framed as a learning journey, with generous spacing and short word sets.
What we deliberately avoid
Our promise
No app can guarantee your child’s spelling will improve, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What we can promise: the approach is grounded in reading research, the effort is genuine, and the experience protects your child’s confidence while they practise.
A selection of the peer-reviewed sources and reviews behind the principles above.