Build A Word Express - Practice spelling and learn letter sounds and names Reviews

by Mmefickley

I paid for the ability to create my own list but it doesn’t work because you can’t hear the recorded word. How do I get a refund?

by Fiercely Independent

Example: the phonemes for “think” are not /th/, /i/, /n/, and /k/.
BuildAWordExpress also sometimes produces vowels in a very clipped and auditorily distorted fashion.

by Siimplyely

Paid the extra money to customize list and record my kids spelling words but it doesn’t work....:/

by Swfv Jnn

Tried everything… no sound

by 1tarakirk

I always prefer to use phonics for spelling apps. Thanks. The voice that pronounces the whole word and the one producing the phonics, I think, should be reversed. Hearing the whole word production was somewhat difficult compared to the letter sounds. I would have liked a way to start over: a go home button. Would love to somehow put in my own words: the high frequency words for 1st grade at my school, for example. But BuildAWordExpress is a great beginning.

by Bsafer

BuildAWordExpress is aesthetically pleasing and kids would have fun with it, but I would not put this in the hands of a beginning or struggling reader. It does not account for vowels and others letter combos having more than one sound. Example: /i/ in think and /i/ in pig; /th/ in bath and /th/ in there. The sound of the letter tiles only offers one sound.

by KArylMow

My kids love this game and I love that they are getting better with their spelling which was stuck around a 70% all year. The bubbles are great. I can save their spelling lists to this so they are practicing what they are getting tested on. The only thing I have a complaint about is that it doesn't save the settings for each child. One of my kids has 6 spelling words and the other has 12 every week and I have to pick a larger quiz number than each of those so that they
end up doing the same word a few times on the test section, that and after I change the user, I have to remember to go in and change the active spelling list too or my 2nd grader ends up practicing my kindergarteners spelling words. But all in all, a great practice tool.

by SchoolAT

BuildAWordExpress helps childlren "stretch out' their words and associate letter sounds. Easy to manipulate, but sometimes the voice is hard to understand. Overall uses a technique that has been shown to be useful in developing literacy. Runs smoothly and gives options such as speaking letter name or letter sound, and using upper or lower case letter presentation. The only thing I would like to see is the ability to add in your own word list.

by Sebemase

I like BuildAWordExpress , but would change just a few things if I could. The voice saying the word, my kids found hard to understand. So I would either like a button to hear the word said again or a different voice. Maybe a way to add my own words, although it was a good mix. I really like how it says the letter sounds. I like that it's simple and to the point.

by Akspeech

I have used other spelling apps with kids, and have seen them barrel through the game without strategy, and without learning anything. I really like the way BuildAWordExpress walks you through the letter sounds as a clue to locate the correct letter, instead of just relying on letter matching. The graphics are good, as well, which keeps the children interested.

by ReadTeach370

I use BuildAWordExpress with students who are struggling in reading. It's a great way to practice spelling patterns, letter-sound correspondence, and the love popping the bubbles. One thing I'd change is that students can't correct if they drag he wrong letter up in a quiz even if they realize before the word is done. But, overall a great app!

by Sevenrox

My 5, 7, and 10 year old enjoy this game. I wondered if the audio prompt to spell a word in "practice" and "test" would be difficult to understand, but I found that as long as the kids did the "learn" first then they pick up on the audio prompt pretty easily. I like how letters and blends are sounded out. It would be great it the kids could build a word themselves and then hear the word they built instead of just being able to build words as prompted. Overall, this is an excellent app to help kids to read and spell. BuildAWordExpress is a keeper for our family!

by Marija011

Thumbs up!

by Frances Amato

This spelling app is amazing with early learners. Students learn the letters in a word, letter placement and positioning, sounds of the word, the word itself and then the spelling. It really takes you through the concrete steps of early development learning. I have used it with a four year old whose second language is English. She had fun and started to pick it up right away. Also, I used it with my friends children and they loved it. Ages two, four and eight got a kick out of playing. They were self motivated and in a group started teaching themselves. I love it.

One con- Too many in app purchases. Bundle all purchases at a lower fee or set BuildAWordExpress to one fair price with all in app purchases included. This is something I feel draws away from this apps true educational value. Also, the buyer feels and sees they got their monies worth or received more value at an acceptable cost.

by E Squared Mama

We absolutely LOVE BuildAWordExpress! My first grader loves practicing his special sounds and spelling skills, because it is "fun" to him! He thinks he is playing a game. The graphics are awesome, and the voice that speaks the words and sounds is pleasant. My three year old also loves it, and is learning so much by using it! My favorite part of BuildAWordExpress is that I can put my first grader's spelling lists in each week, and he can practice spelling them! He likes this so much better than writing the words. Awesome learning tool in our home!

by Mecinply

I use BuildAWordExpress in my speech therapy sessions. I can adapt it to fit the varied needs of my students. Sometimes we are working on cooperation and trying to solve a word together, sometimes we are working on sounding out the letters, sometimes we are working on defining the words, and more!

by AprilMcLovin

I love apps that are entertaining and educational! Not all spelling apps really have taught my boys much, except how to memorize.
*I love the test results, so I can see how they made all their mistakes and praise them for the ones they got correct.
*I also like the settings feature. My boys will push any button on the screen and are too easily changing settings.
*Recording options are great for us since I am finding my boys mimicing the accents on apps instead of saying the words as they are pronounced here in Ireland.

by Mom2alexthegr8

My son played with BuildAWordExpress the second it went on the iPad! It is fantastic, with more than on difficulty level, depending on the child's need. Not to mention, when the child does well, there is a cool visual and auditory reward that is not "babyish". It is a huge hit here, and I would recommend it and Classroom Spelling to anyone.

by Sarah.Naurato

This is a great app especially for children who may be at risk for decoding problems. The way it gives auditory feedback of the phonemes in the word is also great. Will definitely recommend BuildAWordExpress to teacher friends and parents. As a speech language pathologist I see this as a great app for RTI kids needing a little boost with their decoding skills.

by Racers Mommy

I have to say, I love all your apps but this one is just great! I use it with my 6yr old who has autism and it works so well for him! Keep up the great work!!

I have to add that we own most of the apps you've made but this one is the first one we got and we still use it! Racer really loves your apps!!