What makes SPELL-Links WordUP! different?
Other phonics and word study programs begin with the written letter and teach students how to match the letter to a sound. SPELL-Links WordUP! teaches students to attend to the sound structure of spoken English words first, and then to connect the sounds they say and hear with the letters they see in the printed word and the word’s meaning. This is exactly how the brain works in good readers and writers!
Requires iOS 8.1 or later. Compatible with iPad.

Four Great Activities!
Choose an activity — Catch the Beat, Stress this Mess, No Fouls or Build on the Base — adjust settings, and select words to support a student at the appropriate level.
- No Fouls!
- Build on the Base!
- Catch the Beat!
- Stress this Mess!
SPELL-Links WordUP! can be used with any instructional curriculum. If using SPELL-Links WordUP! in conjunction with the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum, the No Fouls! activity correlates directly with the No Fouls! strategy. SPELL-Links strategy #6 No Fouls! develops awareness of phoneme-grapheme correspondences and decoding skills and simultaneously strengthens phonological awareness, vocabulary, and mental orthographic images of words to improve reading fluency and spelling accuracy.
Skills & Content
- Awareness of sounds in words (phonological awareness)
- Letter-sound relationships (orthographic knowledge)
- Spelling
- Reading
Position cursor on image below. Scroll mouse or use arrow keys to cycle through images. On mobile, swipe to cycle through images.
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1. Select the activity.
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2. On the Settings screen (shown above), select and listen to any English sound, like the long vowel ‘e’ sound that you hear in "bee". You can also select the number of syllables, grade level, and familiarity of words to be presented.
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3. On the Play screen (shown above), say the displayed word out loud and touch the letter or letters that spell the selected sound in that word.
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4. A combination of colorful graphics and engaging sound effects lets you know if your response was correct. Earn graphical rewards for correct responses.
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5. Receive feedback and correct mistakes before moving to the next word.
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6. Challenge yourself to correctly identify the letter or letters that spell the selected sound on five words in a row!
SCROLL MOUSE, USE ARROW KEYS, OR SWIPE TO VIEW NEXT IMAGE. BE SURE TO POSITION CURSOR ON IMAGE FIRST.
Watch these short videos to see how the SPELL-Links WordUP! No Fouls! activity improves students’ reading, spelling, vocabulary, and oral language skills.
Vowel sound example
Consonant sound example
SPELL-Links WordUP! can be used with any instructional curriculum. If using SPELL-Links WordUP! in conjunction with the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum, the Build on the Base! activity correlates directly with the Build on the Base! strategy. SPELL-Links strategy #11 Build on the Base! develops morphological awareness of base words and early prefixes and suffixes, phonological awareness, and letter pattern and spelling rules for multi-morphemic words. Build on the Base! simultaneously strengthens vocabulary and mental orthographic images to improve reading fluency, reading comprehension, and spelling accuracy.
Skills & Content
- Awareness of base words, prefixes, and suffixes (morphological awareness)
- Awareness of sounds in words (phonological awareness
- Letter patterns and spelling rules (orthographic knowledge)
- Vocabulary, Spelling, & Reading
Position cursor on image below. Scroll mouse or use arrow keys to cycle through images. On mobile, swipe to cycle through images.
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1. Select the activity.
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2. On the Settings screen (shown above), select the type of words to be presented. You can also select the number of syllables, grade level, and familiarity of words to be presented. Turn the response timer on/off.
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3. On the Play screen (shown above), read the displayed word out loud. Touch the letters of the base part of the displayed word.
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4. A combination of colorful graphics and engaging sound effects lets you know if your response was correct. Earn graphical rewards for correct responses.
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5. Receive feedback before moving to the next word.
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6. Challenge yourself to correctly identify the base word in five words in a row!
SCROLL MOUSE, USE ARROW KEYS, OR SWIPE TO VIEW NEXT IMAGE. BE SURE TO POSITION CURSOR ON IMAGE FIRST.
Watch these short videos to see how the SPELL-Links WordUP! Build on the Base activity improves reading fluency, reading comprehension, and spelling accuracy.
Base + Suffix: -s, -es, -ed, -ing
Base + Suffix: -ed, -ing (only)
SPELL-Links WordUP! can be used with any instructional curriculum. If using SPELL-Links WordUP! in conjunction with the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum, the Catch the Beat! activity correlates directly with the Catch the Beat! strategy. SPELL-Links strategy #3 Catch the Beat! develops phonological awareness, phoneme-grapheme mapping, and decoding skills and simultaneously strengthens vocabulary and mental orthographic images of words to improve reading fluency and spelling accuracy.
Skills & Content
- Awareness of sounds in words (phonological awareness)
- Letter-sound relationships (orthographic knowledge)
- Spelling
- Reading
Position cursor on image below. Scroll mouse or use arrow keys to cycle through images. On mobile, swipe to cycle through images.
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1. Select the activity.
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2. On the Settings screen (shown above) select a group of vowel sounds for the words to be presented on the Play screen. You can also select the number of syllables, grade level, and familiar of words to be presented.
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3. On the Play Screen (shown above), read the displayed word out loud. Touch the letter(s) representing the vowel sound in a syllable. Use a different color for each syllable.
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4. A combination of colorful; graphics and engaging sound effects lets you know if your response was correct. Earn graphical rewards for correct responses. Correct your response before moving to the next word. Challenge yourself to correctly identify the vowel phoneme-grapheme correspondences in five words in a row!
SCROLL MOUSE, USE ARROW KEYS, OR SWIPE TO VIEW NEXT IMAGE. BE SURE TO POSITION CURSOR ON IMAGE FIRST.
Watch these short videos to see how the SPELL-Links WordUP! Catch the Beat! activity improves students’ reading, spelling, vocabulary, and oral language skills.
SPELL-Links WordUP! can be used with any instructional curriculum. If using SPELL-Links WordUP! in conjunction with the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum, Stress this Mess! activity correlates directly with the A Little Stress Will Help This Mess! strategy. SPELL-Links strategy #5 A Little Stress Will Help This Mess! Develops phonological awareness, phoneme-grapheme mapping, and decoding skills. Stress this Mess! simultaneously strengthens vocabulary and mental orthographic images to improve reading fluency and spelling accuracy.
Skills & Content
- Awareness of sounds in words (phonological awareness)
- Letter-sound relationships (orthographic knowledge)
- Spelling
- Reading
Position cursor on image below. Scroll mouse or use arrow keys to cycle through images. On mobile, swipe to cycle through images.
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1. Select the activity.
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2. On the Settings screen (shown above) select a duration for a single round of play. You can also select the number of syllables, grade level, and familiar of words to be presented.
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3. On the Play Screen (shown above), touch the Word UP! button to start the timer. Read the displayed word out loud. Touch the letter(s) representing the vowel sound in the syllable(s) that have primary stress. A combination of colorful; graphics and engaging sound effects lets you know if your response was correct. Earn points for correct responses. Correct your response before moving to the next word.
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4. Challenge yourself to beat your own score on successive rounds of play!
SCROLL MOUSE, USE ARROW KEYS, OR SWIPE TO VIEW NEXT IMAGE. BE SURE TO POSITION CURSOR ON IMAGE FIRST.
Watch these short videos to see how the SPELL-Links WordUP! Stress this Mess! activity improves students’ reading, spelling, vocabulary, and oral language skills.
SPELL-Links WordUP! distance learning and home study option for your students
To support our customers, SPELL-Links WordUP! assignment sheets are now available at no charge, making it easier for you to assign targeted word study at-home work for each of your students.
Download an assignment sheet. Assign target pattern(s), instructional levels, recommended days and duration of student word study work, and specific parental supports. Email to student and/or parent.
Not sure which SPELL-Links WordUP! activities to assign?
Use SPELL-Links eStickers to identify which SPELL-Links strategies your student needs to learn and practice.
Teachers & Students Love WordUP!
Requires iOS 8.1 or later. Compatible with iPad.

A Fun, Effective Learning App
SPELL-Links WordUP! — a unique educational app from the publishers of the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum — is a fun and effective learning, review, and application tool to improve reading, spelling, vocabulary, and oral language skills. Choose one of four activities — Catch the Beat, Stress this Mess, No Fouls or Build on the Base — adjust settings, and select words to support a student at the appropriate level.
Skills & Content
Awareness of sounds in words (phonological awareness) • Letter-sound relationships • Letter patterns and spelling rules (orthographic knowledge) • Awareness of base words, prefixes, and suffixes (morphological awareness) • Spelling • Reading • Vocabulary
Target Audience
Grades K-12+. SPELL-Links WordUP! is fun for everyone and ideal for students who need to improve their reading and spelling, and it’s perfect for English language learners. Use one-on-one, in small or large groups, at independent work stations, and at home. Choose an activity, adjust settings, and select words to support a student at the appropriate level.
Requires iOS 8.1 or later. Compatible with iPad.