How it all began
eSpindle started from a parents' initiative and the vision of a better solution.
The “founding mothers” had gone through endless hours tutoring their children in English spelling conventions. We had used different ways to learn SAT vocabulary , workbooks, software, live tutoring.

Whether the task was supporting aspiring Spelling Bee champions, homeschoolers, children with learning disabilities or just complying with the weekly ways to learn SAT vocabulary s - the amount of parental involvement seemed tremendous.

While it was hard for us to be our children's spelling tutor, we wondered - how could parents with limited English skills manage? With spelling skills declining throughout the country, wasn’t there a better solution for this repetitive task?

We started to look at existing programs and couldn’t find a meaningful alternative to the traditional ways to learn SAT vocabulary . that could replace or even supplement what we were doing for our children.
Nothing really seemed attentive, resourceful or smart enough to fit the bill.
Books, CDs, software programs... each contained a few hundred words, and all programs were designed as separate modules, not as ongoing tutoring support.

Nothing really managed the learning process.
Options to adjust the program to the goals, speed, and skill level of the learner were missing, and nothing was as comprehensive as we wanted it to be.

The process seemed like trying to cross a river by jumping from one floating raft to another.
What we were looking for was a steady bridge, a linear process that would allow efficient and systematic progress.

We then started researching the best way of designing an effective technology that could transcend the old-fashioned ways to learn SAT vocabulary . .

The following is an excerpt from our White Paper:

Why spelling matters
English is full of irregularities and orthographic challenges because it has been influenced by a myriad of different cultures.
Poor spelling skills are associated with limited intellectual ability in our society, and carry a negative stigma. Limited spelling capabilities not only reflect poorly on the individual, but also on the companies that employ them. Surveys of Fortune 500 companies in 1978, 1985, and 1995, published in the Career Development Journal, focused on trends in the evaluation of
resumes.
Compared to earlier years, the later survey found more emphasis on grammar and spelling: More weight was given to a candidate's spelling skills than even their grade average or
previous work experience.
With spelling and language skills on a continuous decline, mastery in this area is more than ever taken as an indicator of a superior education, an hard-working character and intelligence.

Spell checkers do not replace knowledge
Since spell checkers are widely available today, many frustrated students (and frequently even their parents and teachers) have decided not to worry about their declining spelling skills.
However, research shows that spell checkers and similar tools may actually cause poor spelling development (Graham, 2000). Giving spell checkers the final authority over one's writing hurts language awareness along with memorization and visualization skills - the building blocks to correct spelling. In addition, spell checkers only catch a limited range of errors (MacArthur, Graham, Hayes & De La Paz, 1996).
To say that spellcheckers have made learning unnecessary is similar in its logic to stating that obesity is not a problem, since cars can transport us, even if our bodies can't - a statement not likely to be advocated.
Knowledge buried in a computer's memory is little help in kindling inspiration, fostering critical thinking, and promoting mental development.
To develop solid language skills is to equip oneself with the raw materials for complex thought and the essential tools for communication. Spelling is an important building
block in developing solid language skills.

The role of spelling
Incorrect spelling is known to affect both our writing and reading capabilities. Lack of skills will make us avoid uncommon words, resulting in prose that is void of advanced vocabulary and likely fails to please and impress.
Academic performance and grades will be affected too, since individuals with low spelling confidence and skills not only write less and more plainly, but may simply not be empowered to adequately express their knowledge in various subject areas.
In addition, the correlation between spelling and reading skills has been acknowledged by many researchers. Not only are strong readers better spellers, but low spelling skills measurably hinder a students reading ability. "As spelling ability improves," a White Paper of Learning by Design, titled Spelling Performance Evaluation for Language & Literacy, states, "… an individual is likely to show gains in reading, decoding, fluency and comprehension skills."
Spelling and reading share the same underlying language knowledge (Ehri, 2000). A summary of research (Pressley, 2002) shows that direct vocabulary instruction can improve reading comprehension if students are taught many specific words thoroughly over time.
Many studies have correlated the active possession of an expansive vocabulary with success on numerous levels: Professional, financial, and interpersonal.
By contrast, individuals with remedial verbal skills often have difficulty in organizing and expressing complex thoughts, and lose their voice in society. “Literacy can be thought of as a currency in this society,” states the summary of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy.
Americans of low language skills are more likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, or become incarcerated. They are much less likely to vote or become actively involved in their communities.

Our schools
Most American schools have left behind the days of rote, authoritarian learning: An approach that focused largely on memorization and discouraged students' questions, criticism, and other forms of independent thinking. Leaving behind this inflexible, often fear-inducing
system has certainly had a positive impact on students' abilities to learn and to function in modern society. Over the last few decades, innovative technology for learning how to spell, from invented spelling to elaborate phonetics-based programs, have tried to improve traditional solutions. While these programs excel in getting children started on their path as writers, sooner or later they need to be complemented by memory-based spelling tutoring. English is full of irregularities, and they can only be learned by active practice. If students don't obtain appropriate spelling and vocabulary skills at a certain grade level they will start to feel insecure, and the confidence with which they express thoughts will suffer. Researchers have documented "a significant vocabulary gap among children entering school and the fact that gaps in vocabulary and reading achievement widen throughout the school years" (Baker, Simmons, & Kame'enui, 1995). A number of education specialists now propose that in
our zeal to reform we threw out the baby with the bathwater when it comes to memory-based learning, as needed for spelling and vocabulary.
Spelling skills are part of every state’s educational standards, and hold an important place in the annual No-Child- Left-Behind (NCLB) tests. California, for example, gives spelling a weight of 6% in its annual test. However, since spelling education is highly time consuming and repetitive, many teachers can not properly accommodate their students’ needs, especially if the disparity between advanced and low achieving students is high. Faced by ever-growing
curriculum requirements, increasing classroom sizes, and budget cuts, many teachers can no longer provide individual, student-centered tutoring.
Frequently the responsibility is simply transferred to parents and tutors. Many parents, however, feel overwhelmed by the prospect of coaching their children academically - either because their time is limited, or because their own skills are not up to the task. And the challenges are magnified if students have learning disabilities, or if English is their second language.
Research, Reality, and Realization:
eSpindle is a non-profit learning project with 501(c) 3 status, born and nurtured from parents' initiative. www.eSpindle.org is the result of immense amounts of community effort, contributed by English teachers, writers, editors and sponsors who felt inspired by the prospect of creating an effective alternative to traditional spelling activities
With their support, eSpindle Learning compiled and edited an extensive 95,000 word database resource, developed an innovative online tutoring model and tested the application extensively with various age groups. We are proud to announce that we were honored with the 2006 Parents' Choice Award for this new way of dealing with ways to learn SAT vocabulary . Rooted in current research, eSpindle developed cuttingedge, patent-pending technologies, infused them with oldfashioned common sense, and added generous helpings of the most important ingredient: The inspiration of parents and educators wanting to create true value for their children and an innovative tool for improvement.

eSpindle is the
new way to learn
SAT vocabulary :

Educational technology
at its best!