spelling program - not just another computer game dressed up as educational software

The spelling program for all adults and children is Personal Best Spelling

 Personal Best Spelling

Printable Version

NEW printable version only AU$9.95. More

US English spelling version   Australian English spelling version   UK English spelling version

spelling program order form  spelling program free trial

Spelling Habits

Spelling teachers and students try to get it right the first time but invariably end up spending a lot of time trying to correct bad spelling habits that somehow develop.

Because these errors were not corrected early, and were repeated over and over (i.e., practiced), many spelling errors quickly develop into bad habits and are then much harder to eradicate. For example, some people always write "recieve" instead of "receive".

We all know that old habits die hard and many spelling errors therefore defy correction by conventional methods.

The usual advice to practice the correct spelling over and over is not very effective. The next day learners seem to have forgotten what they've learned and the same old spelling errors resurface. It seems we just keep falling back to old ways and, consequently, transfer of learning (memory for correct spelling) is poor.

Fortunately, a cognitive science discovery called Old Way New Way® Learning, endorsed and gazetted by the South Australian Department of Education and built into Personal Best Spelling, offers all learners of all ages:

1. A new perspective on the transfer of learning problem in the learning of spelling.

2. A fast and practical way to learn to spell new and unfamiliar words.

3. A user-friendly method for quickly and permanently eradicating bad spelling habits.

This page describes the medical term word lists available for use with Personal Best Spelling.

Personal Best Spelling is the only spelling program licensed to use the Old Way New Way® learning method. Extensive research and trials in schools and workplaces shows that Old Way New Way® works equally well with adult learners and children. Personal Best Spelling therefore comes in two versions - one for adults and one for children.

Adult spelling

Not just another educational computer game, the adult version of Personal Best Spelling employs research-based learning methods yet it is very user friendly and, unlike most so-called adult spelling programs, it does not insult your intelligence.

The adult version of Personal Best Spelling is available as a computer software program for Windows operating systems or as a pencil-and-paper version.

Read more about the adult spelling version of Personal Best Spelling.

Children's spelling

The children's version contains some animated characters but this is kept to a minimum so as not to distract the child from the learning task.

The children's version of Personal Best Spelling is available as a computer software program for Windows operating systems or as a pencil-and-paper version.

Read more about the children's version of Personal Best Spelling.

Orders

   Adult spelling

   Children's spelling

Contact

   Contact

 Early Reading Program

Learn to Read in Nine Easy Steps

Learn to Read in Nine Easy Steps

The reading program for every preschooler and school beginner.

Learn to Read in Nine Easy Steps:

1. Can quickly make you a competent teacher of reading

2. Provides step-by-step instructions and sample lessons so you know exactly what to say and do

3. Makes the teaching of reading stress-free, enjoyable and rewarding for both you and your child

4. Takes children from phonological awareness to functional literacy in nine easy, stress-free, steps

5. Tunes in to how children learn best

6. Gives children rapid success and boosts confidence

7. Offers early intervention to avoid reading failure later

8. Demystifies the maze of conflicting theories on how children should be taught to read

9. Was developed by an educational psychologist with over 30 years success in the teaching of reading

10. Is built on a sound psychological theory of how children learn to read

11. Is available in both U.S. spelling or U.K./Oz spelling

12. Comes in Home User or Professional versions, both with personalised learning materials and email support direct from the author.

Versions

Home Version: For parents and carers, the Home User version comes with one set of personalised learning materials and email support for a period of 1 month, during which period you can ask the kit author questions about the use of the kit. More

School/professional version: For schools, child care centres, professional literacy tutors and other educational organisations, the Professional version comes complete with one set of 14 Phonic Readers, five personalised sets of learning materials and 2 months of email support, during which period you can ask the kit author questions about the use of the kit. More

For schools, child care centres, professional literacy tutors and other educational organisations, the Professional version comes complete with one set of 14 Phonic Readers, five personalised sets of learning materials and 2 months of email support, during which period you can ask the kit author questions about the use of the kit. More

Why Johnny can't read

Medical Spelling Word Lists

Medical word lists are now available for Personal Best Spelling. Intending users should check that the spelling of these words is consistent with their current spelling conventions and that the terms are suitable for use within their own medical practice.

The list of medical terms can be downloaded as a self-installing utility. The file will unzip (decompress) and place the word lists into the folder where Personal Best Spelling installs by default, i.e., C:\windows\pbs16adu\. Users can also use these word lists independently of the spelling program because the word lists files are plain text files.

Medical terms are sorted into approximately 600 separate word lists covering the following medical fields, among others:

  • cardiovascular
  • dermatology
  • gastrology
  • male reproductive
  • musculoskeletal
  • nephrology
  • neurology
  • neuropsychology
  • obstetrics and gynecology
  • oncology
  • opthalmology
  • radiology
  • respiratory
  • urology
  • oncology

Words follow the U.S. spelling convention but can be edited to conform to other spelling conventions.

Medical word lists are organised alphabetically within each medical specialty. Words are listed alphabetically within each word list.

Medical terminology "demons", those terms that typically cause spelling problems, are also covered in 65 lists.

You can fully edit word lists—add new terms, delete outdated terms and alter the spelling of any word in the list to suit your own spelling conventions. In fact, you are encouraged to edit the lists in order to make them more suitable for your own use.

Within Personal Best Spelling, you can create your own word lists and include only those words that you habitually misspell or always have to look up in a medical dictionary. This is the best way to use the spelling program.

Word lists can contain different kinds of entries all mixed together. A word list can contain entries that consist of one word, e.g., enucleated, or an entry can be a medical term that consists of multiple words, e.g., arcus senilis. An entry can also consist of an abbreviation along with its expanded form, e.g., CIS (carcinoma in situ).

Basically, you can enter whatever you like into a word list. The important thing to note, though, is that when the program asks you to spell (type) the word you must type it from memory exactly as it appears, including any spaces, brackets, hyphens, punctuation marks, and so on.

If what you type does not mirror exactly what is written then it will register an error and you will be asked to re-enter the item. For this reason, you may wish to edit some of the entries in the word lists prior to use, in order to make each entry more suitable for your own preferences.

Note that these medical word lists are provided "as is" and apart from being updated from time to time no further support will be provided for these lists.

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"Not just another computer game dressed up as educational software"

Personal Best Spelling is a unique learning tool for use with medical terms and other professional vocabularies. Personal Best Spelling:

  • has transformed many poor spellers into proficient, confident spellers when all other methods failed
  • is a genuine learning tool for spelling, not just another computer game dressed up as educational software
  • does not insult the adult learner's intelligence
  • is being used by adult and workplace literacy tutors, adult learners, medical practitioners, police officers, colleges, universities, companies and government departments to improve their spelling
  • identifies your bad spelling habits (habit pattern errors) and quickly corrects them, once and for all
  • helps you learn and remember your words from one day to the next
  • tests your spelling and tracks your progress
  • uses proven learning methods endorsed by Australian state government departments
  • is the only spelling tutor that uses Old Way New Way®, an effective research-based and user-friendly learning method
  • uses an improved version of Look Say Cover Write Check, the old standby method for learning spelling
  • provides hundreds of editable word lists in both U.S. English and U.K./Oz English, plus you can create and edit your own lists
  • runs on Windows 98 or later computers.

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Preview, trial and purchase Personal Best Spelling

Before you buy, please check out the many spelling program features. You can preview the program, download and try the demo adult version for free, and then purchase it using our secure order form.

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