Daily Spelling Practice: Empowering Little Learners

When we started homeschooling last year, we had never taught our kids spelling. A friend recommended the IEW spelling curriculum.  And we decided to try it because of its low cost, simplicity, and structure—exactly what we needed as homeschooling beginners.

The program’s straightforward design focuses on spelling 15 words per day, with kids repeating each lesson daily until they spell all the words correctly on the same test. The results aren’t immediate as parents and kids learn the routine, but with consistency, we’ve seen remarkable progress across our three very different learners—all without extra stress or cramming.

A major benefit has been the flexibility. Each child has the lesson recordings loaded on Google Drive available through an iPad, allowing them to practice and correct words independently. We also use the optional printed practice pack a couple times a week to administer the daily lesson so we can directly monitor progress and coach along the way. This balance between self-guided learning and direct engagement has made it manageable to teach three kids of different skill levels simultaneously.

After four months, we’re genuinely impressed with how much the kids have improved and, more importantly, how willing they are to keep going. The structure feels effective but painless—daily progress without overwhelming or frustrating.

What makes it good for multiple ages, also gives it staying power. Each lesson has three levels of difficulty, so once a student finishes all 46 lessons at one level, they can keep the same format while increasing the difficulty.  We’re just beginners on this journey, but so far spelling practice feels less like ‘memorize and forget,’ and more about steady progress to empowered little learners.