Modern EdTech Struggles with "Wrong" Answers
The most successful people in the world don't just tolerate failure; they utilize it. Silicon Valley work ethic is built on the idea of 'failing forward,' a concept where every error is a stepping stone to success. This is how SpellMe works, and why it works so well. Unfortunately, there are not many edtech tools like this. Many tools currently in our classrooms haven't caught up to the fail forward philosophy. By sticking to binary 'right or wrong' models, they are missing the most important part of the learning process: the feedback loop that happens immediately after a mistake is made. Good teachers know how to use mistakes as learning opportunities. But, in our rush to digitize the classroom, we have built systems where failure is a dead end rather than a step to success. This needs to change. Let’s take a deeper look at what is actually happening and why failing is so important to the learning process.
The Science of Why We Need Failure to Succeed
Mistakes help create accurate mental models. Cognitive psychology tells us that mistakes are important to the learning process because the mistake becomes a trigger for our brain to ask questions about the problem, and starts a process of reflection. ‘What did we do wrong? Why did that happen? How do we fix it? These internal questions, in the presence of our practical experience of making that mistake, are powerful tools in problem solving.
We Need to be Comfortable Enough to Make Mistakes
In order for all this to work, students need to be in an environment that nurtures their learning, allowing them to succeed through their failure without penalising them. There has to be emotional and motivational support. The alternative, which we too often see is the learning potential is shut down when an incorrect answer is given. Instead of guided questioning to find out the student’s thought process and correct it, a teacher gives the correct answer or moves to a student to do so. Leaving the other student embarrassed and sometimes still confused as to why they were wrong. A good teacher (which many teachers are), would know how to manage this in the correct way. Unfortunately, our edtech is not helping us enough. Check out part 3 of my article on ‘Reading isn’t natural’ to read about how this negativity can change the mind from an open learning mode to a closed protective mode.
How Current Edtech Handles Wrong Answers
The current edtech landscape is lacking on how it handles failure. And AI doesn’t seem to be making things any better. Most edtech tools, for maths, spelling, literacy and other subjects allow only binary answers. Students get it right, get points and move on, or students get it wrong, lose points and move on. Sometimes there is an explanation and sometimes not. There is rarely an opportunity for another chance at a question answered incorrectly, or any scaffolding support, and even more rare is the reward for the whole process.
Take IXL for example, which I think is a great edtech tool for maths and literacy (not so much for social studies and science, but that is a discussion for another day). I have used this tool many times for tutoring students and young family members, and witnessed tears, frustration and annoyance at the user experience of how it handles a student’s wrong answer. In a non-edtech environment (face to face with a good tutor), if a student got a question wrong, that tutor would never just give the student the correct answer and move on. They would first give hints, steer the student towards the correct answer, scaffolding the learning. They would try their best to get the student to come up with the answer themselves. With IXL, it is a simple binary. Right or wrong. Although IXL does give an explanation for a wrong answer, allowing the student to reflect on their mistake, by this point it is too late for the student to readjust, to try that same question again like a real life person would. IXL is not the only culprit here, many spelling apps act the same. So what should they do instead?
How EdTech Can Manage Failure Through Superior Feedback
- Lower the stakes for learning: At the very least, these tools should shift to low-stakes questions, where platforms reward attempts as well as correct answers. The rewards don’t have to be as high as the correct answer.
- Give feedback before marking: They can also provide corrective, actionable dialogue instead of just marking the answer wrong.
- Give more chances: They can allow resubmission, allowing the student an opportunity to fix their mistake.
- Give guided personal feedback: They can use intelligent feedback systems that can understand the student’s mistake, possibly based on previous errors and give guided, directed feedback and hints.
All of these features are in SpellMe. 1. XP isn’t removed for incorrect answers. In fact students get rewarded a few XP for every wrong attempt, because each wrong attempt leads them closer to the correct answer. 2. When students make mistakes immediate feedback is given hinting at the correct answer. 3. Students are given unlimited opportunity to get the correct answer to each question, instead of moving on. And final 4. Intelligent feedback based on previous mistakes is available to them.
All of these help build an environment that not only makes it ok to make mistakes, but turns the mistake into a learning opportunity.
The student perspective
I once asked a student:
‘Why do you get upset when you get a question wrong in IXL, but you don’t get upset when you use SpellMe’?
After a short thinking pause, they answered
‘I don’t know… I think it is because in IXL when I get a question wrong, the points go down and I can’t try the question again. That makes me feel sad. But in SpellMe, the points don’t go down and I can try again till I get it right, so it’s ok.’
The student was 8 years old, and was most likely neurodivergent, so didn’t handle disappointment well. This made things more difficult. That disappointment from the negative feedback often led to a mental switching off, and an unwillingness to learn in that moment. This is often a defense mechanism that struggling students employ to protect themselves from negative feelings of failure. Not every student would experience failure in that same way, but every student would benefit from improved failure handling in these situations.
This environment helps students realise that mistakes are normal. It is how we learn, so we should let our mistakes teach us. It helps students love challenges and view mistakes as stepping stones to success, and not something to be punished for. When looking for your next Edtech app, make sure it handles failure in the right way.
Research Articles
January and February are jam packed with some of the most famous festivities around the world. Our last festive word lists blog post did overlap some January and February dates, with Makar Sankrati and Chinese New Year, but missed out a lot of dates too. 20 new word lists have now been added, which cover January and February again, as well as March (which will be covered in another post). The most interesting thing about 2026 festivities is that Chinese New year and Ramadan sync up. This happens only once every 33 years, with the last one happening in 1993 and the next happening in 2057. 2026 is even more special because it is so rare that they are within 24 hours of each other. Both sets of word lists (one for each level, 7 in total for each theme) can be found in the SpellMe Word Lists collection along with 11 other sets, with dates and details below. Ramadan Mubarak, Gong Xi Fa Cai, wishing all of you the best of wishes for whatever you are celebrating!
January
World Braille Day - January 4
This global event honors Louis Braille, the Frenchman who invented the tactile reading and writing system. People with visual impairments and their allies celebrate by promoting Braille literacy and advocating for equal access to information in schools and workplaces.
Word Nerd Day - January 9
Celebrated primarily by language lovers and "logophiles" in English-speaking communities, this quirky day honors the vastness of the lexicon. It is observed by learning obscure words, playing linguistics games, and sharing the etymology of favorite phrases.
MLK Day - January 19
This American federal holiday honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. People across the United States participate in "days of service," marches, and educational programs to promote racial equality and nonviolent social change.
National Handwriting Day - January 23
Established by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, this day encourages people to put pen to paper. It is celebrated by writers and students who send handwritten letters or practice calligraphy to keep the personal art of penmanship alive.
February
Black History Month - February 1 to 28
Observed in the US and Canada (and the UK in October), this month honors the achievements and history of the African Diaspora. It is marked by museum exhibits, community storytelling, and educational events that highlight Black leaders, art, and resilience.
Groundhog Day - February 2
This North American folklore tradition involves a groundhog "predicting" the arrival of spring based on its shadow. Primarily celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and parts of Canada, it is a festive community event featuring morning festivals and winter predictions.
Int. Day of Women and Girls in Science - February 11
This United Nations observance is recognized globally by researchers, students, and academic institutions. It is celebrated with workshops, lectures, and social media campaigns aimed at breaking gender stereotypes and encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM.
St. Valentine’s Day - February 14
Originating as a Christian feast day, this is now a global celebration of romantic and platonic love. People exchange cards, chocolates, and flowers—particularly in Western cultures—to show appreciation for partners and friends.
Lunar New Year - February 17
This is celebrated in China as Chinese New year, but the more general celebration in many Asian countries, like Vietnam, Korea is collectively known as Lunar New Year. Each region has their own specific name for the celebration which marks the start of a new moon. Traditions include family feasts, "red envelopes" with money for children, dragon dances, and setting off fireworks to welcome luck.
Random Acts of Kindness Day - February 17
This secular day of goodwill is celebrated globally by schools, businesses, and individuals. It is observed by performing small, selfless deeds for strangers, such as paying for someone's coffee or leaving a kind note, to foster a sense of community.
Ramadan - February 18 (Begins)
Observed by nearly two billion Muslims worldwide, this is the holiest month in Islam. It is spent fasting from dawn to sunset, participating in nightly prayers (Taraweeh), and focusing on charity, self-discipline, and spiritual reflection.
International Mother Language Day - February 21
First proposed by Bangladesh and recognized by UNESCO, this day celebrates linguistic diversity. People around the world honor their native tongues through poetry readings, cultural performances, and efforts to preserve endangered languages.
Look out for the next set of festivities and associated word lists in a future post.
Image by ChatGPT
I noticed a recent comparison from another spelling practice app called SpellCrush, which seems to be a new app that focuses mostly on fun and games. It's great to see more tools entering the spelling space, but as a tool grounded in literacy research, I want to clarify some technical distinctions with SpellMe to correct what they got wrong. They listed a few details about features in their comparison which were not accurate. The table below puts that right:
The Feature Truth Table
Science and Orthographic Mapping
With SpellMe, my goal was to focus on what actually moves the needle in literacy: orthographic mapping. One of the most important features in the app is how we handle errors. Instead of just giving a generic "incorrect" message, our feedback system uses color-coded visual cues to show the student exactly where their spelling aligns with the correct version and where it doesn't. Whether they were one letter away or missed the mark entirely, the feedback is designed to bridge that gap and guide them back to the correct spelling. It’s about helping the brain recognize patterns and build visual memory, so that when a student masters a word, they truly understand its structure.
Why It Matters
One of the biggest priorities for me was creating a space where kids can actually concentrate. We know that for many learners, especially those with ADHD or dyslexia, a busy screen can often be more of a barrier than a help. That’s why SpellMe is designed to be calm and focused; we want the brain’s energy going into phonemes and spelling patterns, not processing unnecessary distractions. It’s also about empowering the adults in a child’s life. I didn't want parents or teachers to just see that a "level was cleared". I wanted them to see exactly which letter-sound gaps a child is navigating. By providing that specific insight, SpellMe becomes more than just an app; it’s a tool that helps us understand a child's unique learning journey and guides them toward becoming a confident, fluent reader. It is important, however, to note that SpellMe is not just for neurodivergent learners, but for all learners. However, considering issues that neurodivergent students struggle with, helps all students, just like the philosophy of the Curb Cut effect.
I will be writing more about the real meaning and importance of play, fun and gamification (Intrinsic vs Extrinsic motivation); as well as the importance of mistakes and learning from failure in future blog posts. In the meantime, feel free to try out the SpellMe features and compare them with the many other spelling apps already out there. Each has their own unique strengths, so if you can't find what you're looking for with SpellMe, try any of the others. Whatever you decide, we'd love to hear from you.
Building for Humans, Recommended by AI: Lessons from 100 Silent Registrations.
It has been about one year since I started building SpellMe. I uploaded the first basic test version onto a web server around January 2025 and had a number of testers go through it in May. I launched the Beta 2 version in the middle of September, with a basic tweet, which was the first time members of the public were invited to use it. Fast forward to Jan 2026 and with very little marketing I have had thousands of visitors, hundreds of users, and of those, over a hundred have opted to register for an account.
Overall, I’m quite happy with the performance. I was not really intending to market last year, so wasn’t expecting people to find out about it. It has definitely been an interesting creation journey, though - one that I would like to share. I will be talking about how the current age of AI has changed the way people find things, like SpellMe and also about what I think is the most important part of any edtech app, which is research and real results.
Research
It was always important to me to ground SpellMe in real research. This research led me to write on topics, like the most important features for literacy apps to promote learning; types of fonts related to ease of reading and spelling; structured literacy and different ways of learning to read and spell; how user interface design can facilitate learning and help with accessibility; how AI can be beneficial; and the neurology of spelling and reading linked to neurodivergence. This research directly influenced the look and feel of SpellMe, and led to real results with users. This research will continue to show insights on how SpellMe can further improve.
Niche
From the very beginning, I have understood that a spelling practise app would be just for a small niche, which is why I was surprised that I started receiving any registrations as early as I did (even before my September launch). One reason to explain this is that even for a niche app, there is demand for help with spelling and literacy among parents and teachers. Over the last few months, that has become evident, however, the usual avenues of researching trends online in any sector have changed dramatically over the last couple of years. I can only relate this to how chatbots have changed people’s search behaviour. Before it was possible to track search words and link them to your site, through Google and other search engines. Although this is still possible, search on that avenue has dropped drastically.
The AI Chatbot Effect
According to a friend of mine in the enterprise/productivity software business, AI has had some quite significant effects. Their traffic from Google has dropped by over 80%, and the growth in traffic from Chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, is considerably less (around 20%). SpellMe has not been around long enough to feel the negative effects of this change, but I have definitely noticed that an overwhelming majority (over 70%) of my registered users are coming from ChatGPT. This means that most of my registered users find me through intentional searching, and SpellMe comes up in the AI chatbots as a solution to whatever their specific needs may be. This is promising. The problem is, unlike with people searching on Google or other more traditional search engines, there is no way for me to find out the exact problem these people have. I have to assume that the information my users get from chatGPT is accurate and it is not telling them that SpellMe is great for casting spells. Whatever the case is, the conversion rate which I will talk about next proves that I am doing something right and I will chalk it up to the research and development work that I have put into the app.
Building a habit
The lack of marketing that I mentioned before was intentional. Last year, I wanted to focus on bug fixing and feature improvements suggested by the users that were finding SpellMe, instead of getting more people to use the site that wasn’t up to my standard. Even so, my stats still showed that 1 in 6 users that did show up, by whatever means, chose to register. That’s a conversion rate of 16%, which is quite high for a niche edtech app. However, a high registration rate is only the first chapter of the story. As we move into 2026, I aim to shift my focus from simply welcoming new users to making sure they get value from coming back. After all, my research found that short regular practice sessions (about 10 minutes a day) were effective in improving spelling performance. I aim to turn that initial curiosity into a lasting educational habit, not for any monetary value but so users get the most out of what they signed up for.
Next steps
After some testing of the newest feature, the Teacher Dashboard, which I am really excited about, the app will finally come out of Beta release. Until then, I will be doing some more research on literacy, and will release the final Beta version (Beta 3) in the next few days. To be honest, it is available now, and has been for the last week or so, but in my typical marketing fashion, I have to send an underwhelming tweet to make it official. Look out for it and let me know your thoughts.
Building edtech tools isn't easy. One of the most difficult things is finding out from the end-user, what words and what doesn't. I guess it's the same for any type of tool, edtech or not, but when learning is involved, it seems more important to know the results. This is why we have created another method of contact directly from the SpellMe webapp itself. The other two methods are via email and via the contact form on the blog. But directly in the app, hopefully, allows for more convenient communication, not having to leave the app.
The feedback form can be accessed by clicking on the orange button on the right of the screen. We ask that you add a score out of 10 to let us know your general impressions of SpellMe. Logged in users automatically have their comments linked to their accounts to make it easier for use to respond to any issues. Guest users, have the option of adding their email address as well as their comment.
Any and every piece of feedback is vital for helping to improve the app, and you can leave feedback anonymously if you like by making sure you are logged out and by not including your email address. That makes it difficult to get back to you if you need a response, but if you don't and you feel more comfortable expressing yourself that way, then that's totally fine. Our aim is to make the best literacy app we can, and to help others do the same. So, let us know how we can make it better for you or your spellers.