Oxford University Press has created a new iPad app designed to help kids learn how to spell. It’s called Spell with Pip: An Oxford Spelling Game. The app turns spelling into an arcade game for the 4-8 year old set.
The app features a parrot named Pip who does somersaults when the player correctly places a letter. When the word is misspelled, he squawks and loses a feather. Pip serves as a kind of guide through a jungle of letters and spelling games. The app has more than 3,000 words, all of which were taken from the Oxford’s First Dictionary. The app is Oxford University Press’ first children’s dictionary app.
“We know that children love games and that they are keen and motivated to spell well, this ambitious and exciting app combines these to help children practice their spelling in a creative and fun way,” stated Vineeta Gupta, Head of Children’s Dictionary Publishing, at Oxford University Press. “What sets Spell with Pip: An Oxford Spelling Game apart is that it focuses on words that children find hard to spell, and is based on the latest research from the Oxford dictionaries team.”