The Ideal Op App: 6 Features for Creating the Best Literacy Learning App for Learners That Need More
Are modern edtech apps leaving neurodivergent learners behind? These 6 steps make sure more people are catered for.
This article is about the perfect features for literacy learning apps for ALL students, but I have hidden an engineering reference in the title that relates to the article. Hint: Infinite resistance. Drop a comment if you get it…Anyway, back to the show…
Considering students with learning difficulties like ADHD and dyslexia when creating learning resources is essential for ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed in a classroom environment. Far too often, there are apps that fall short of the mark. This is why it was very important to me that when building SpellMe, these things were considered (Check out my first article to find out what SpellMe is and why I’m building it). In this article, I’ll explore the features that make learning apps more accessible for students with these and other neurodivergent challenges and how such features can be integrated into educational tools. These features, many of which are already in SpellMe, should be present in all literacy learning apps to be truly inclusive. Some of them, like adaptive learning and gamification are a no brainer, but many apps still fall short. I encourage developers of these apps to steal, borrow, share, and implement these ideas in your own work. BTW, each of the 6 points has links to further research at the bottom of this article, which are definitely worth checking out!
1. Personalized and Adaptive Learning
A core principle in any learning app is the ability to personalize the learning experience and adapt it to the student’s needs. For students with learning difficulties, this is crucial in keeping them engaged and ensuring that they progress without becoming overwhelmed.
Apps that offer adaptive learning algorithms can adjust the difficulty of tasks based on the student’s current performance. For example, if a student consistently struggles with certain words, the app can automatically lower the difficulty or provide additional hints, but at the same time make sure the student will eventually reach that more difficult level. This approach allows the student to progress at their own pace. This adaptability ensures that the student is always challenged, but never pushed beyond their capabilities.
Additionally, personalized learning paths that allow students to control their learning experience, such as choosing specific words for practice, can make the process more engaging and effective. This enables students to focus on areas they need improvement while ensuring that they are working at a pace that is comfortable for them, giving them more control over their learning journey.
2. Multisensory Accessibility and Cross-Device Compatibility
Multisensory learning is critical for students with dyslexia. By combining auditory, visual, and tactile inputs, apps can help reinforce the material in different ways, making it easier for dyslexic learners to process and retain information. For example, the use of high-quality text-to-speech (TTS) is essential for dyslexic learners to hear and internalize the words they are learning. Check out the link on the importance of TTS in dyslexia intervention below
However, it’s not just about multisensory elements. Accessibility should also extend to how an app works across different platforms. With technology becoming more ubiquitous, it’s crucial that learning apps work consistently across devices such as iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. An ideal learning app should offer a uniform experience across these devices, ensuring that students can access high-quality features like TTS, success animations, and other multisensory cues, regardless of their device.
Providing consistent accessibility across platforms while maintaining high-quality, user-friendly features is no easy task, and I have the mental scars to prove it (a story for another day)! But it’s necessary for ensuring that all students can engage with the app, regardless of the device they use.
3. Gamification: Adding Motivation and Fun
Gamification can make learning fun and motivating, which is essential for students with ADHD, who often struggle with maintaining attention and engagement. Features such as scoring systems, leaderboards, and badges can transform learning into a challenge, encouraging students to improve their performance.
Including game-like elements, whether through points, levels, or rewards, keeps the learning process enjoyable and competitive. These features not only motivate students to perform their best but also create a sense of accomplishment and progression. Students are more likely to return to the app when they know they will be rewarded for their effort.
4. Dyslexia-Friendly Features: Font Choices for Better Readability
Creating dyslexia-friendly features is essential for improving readability and making the learning process more accessible for dyslexic students. For example, using Lexend or OpenDyslexic fonts, which are specifically designed to make reading easier for dyslexic learners, can reduce confusion and improve comprehension. My previous article delved into this topic in more detail.
Providing students with the ability to do things like customize the font type and colors allow them to create a learning environment that is optimal for their needs. By offering these customizable options, the app ensures that all learners can engage with the material in the most effective way for them.
5. Shorter Learning Sessions for Focused Engagement
For students with ADHD, long learning sessions can lead to frustration and disengagement. That’s why it’s important to break down learning into shorter, more manageable sessions.
For example, limiting wordlists to 10 words or less per session helps prevent students from feeling overwhelmed. Furthermore, features that allow students to save progress for longer lessons ensures that they can continue their learning at another time, without losing track of where they left off. This flexibility is essential for learners who may benefit from shorter bursts of focus, followed by breaks.
6. Phonics-Based Themes for Early Literacy
Phonics-based themes for spelling are essential for early literacy, particularly for students with dyslexia. Apps that integrate phonics-based themes, such as short and long vowel sounds, digraphs, and double letters, ensure that students practice key phonetic patterns not only when reading but when spelling, too.
These curated wordlists focus on fundamental literacy skills, which are especially beneficial for dyslexic students who often struggle with reading and word recognition. By practicing words based on recognized phonics principles, students can develop a stronger foundation for both spelling and reading.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead
All of the features discussed above are essential for creating accessible learning environments for students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent based learning difficulties.
These features are not only beneficial for students with learning difficulties, they enhance the experience for all learners. Many of these features are already present in SpellMe, such as personalized and adaptive learning through automatic level reduction for difficult words, multisensory features like high-quality TTS, success animations, and sounds, and dyslexia-friendly fonts throughout. In future versions, SpellMe will further incorporate game-based rewards, AI-powered personalized hints, and more analysis features to ensure that every student has the tools they need to succeed.
As I mentioned in the introduction, these ideas should be borrowed, shared, and incorporated into every literacy learning app, not just mine. They can help create better, more inclusive learning experiences.
So, who got the engineering reference? Drop me a comment. Also, check out SpellMe.app. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Links to Research, as Promised:
1.Personalized and Adaptive Learning
Personalized Learning for Neurodivergent Students: What Works
Insighte. (n.d.). Personalized Learning for Neurodivergent Students: What Works. Retrieved from Insighte
2.Multisensory Accessibility and Cross-Device Compatibility
Effect of Text-to-Speech Software on Academic Achievement of Students with Dyslexia
Bhola, N. (2022). Effect of Text-to-Speech Software on Academic Achievement of Students with Dyslexia. Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities, 2(4), 51–55. Retrieved from Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities
3.Gamification: Adding Motivation and Fun
Developing Two Game-Based Interventions for Dyslexia: Therapeutic Interventions Using Gamification and Serious Games Approaches
Authors. (2022). Developing Two Game-Based Interventions for Dyslexia: Therapeutic Interventions Using Gamification and Serious Games Approaches. Entertainment Computing, 35, 100352. Retrieved from Entertainment Computing Journal
4.Dyslexia-Friendly Features: Font Choices for Better Readability
Lexend: Improving Readability for All
Lexend. (n.d.). Improving Readability for All. Retrieved from Lexend
5.Shorter Learning Sessions for Focused Engagement
Effective Strategies for Teaching and Supporting Students with ADHD
Enlightened Minds. (n.d.). Effective Strategies for Teaching and Supporting Students with ADHD. Retrieved from Enlightened Minds
6.Phonics-Based Spelling Themes for Early Literacy
Response to Phonics Through Spelling Intervention in Children with Dyslexia
Authors. (2019). Response to Phonics Through Spelling Intervention in Children with Dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities. DOI: 10.1080/10573569.2019.1707732
I’ve learned that designing apps for Learning Means Caring About Fonts
I didn’t set out to care about fonts. I really didn’t. But somewhere along the road of building a spelling app for my son, I remembered something important from my classroom teaching days: some fonts help, and some fonts hurt - especially when you’re trying to help a kid read.
During my teacher training days, Comic Sans was all the craze in classrooms because it appealed to kids. But it quickly became one of the most hated and ridiculed fonts. I didn’t fully understand the backlash at first, but after a bit of research, I saw why: it was overused, popping up everywhere from corporate memos to CVs. It was inconsistently designed, and over time, it just became synonymous with being childish and unprofessional.
Ironically, Comic Sans was never designed for readability, but it turns out, it was quite readable for young and beginner readers. Unfortunately, by the time people started to realise that, its reputation was already beyond repair.
What Most Fonts Get Wrong (for Learning)
There are fonts out there that look great, clean, modern, sharp. You’ll see them on agency websites, minimalist landing pages, and design blogs. But try using those same fonts with a 7-year-old learning to spell, and you’ll hit a wall.
Many of the default fonts in popular design tools are too tightly spaced. They use high-contrast strokes or overly geometric shapes that make similar letters blur together. For confident adult readers, it’s barely noticeable. For a child still decoding letterforms? It’s a mess.
What the Good Fonts Do Differently
I started testing different fonts with my son, not just for style, but for clarity. That’s when I discovered Lexend, a font family specifically designed to improve reading fluency. It uses wider spacing, open shapes, and balanced proportions to reduce visual stress.
I tested it alongside other fonts, and despite my scepticism, Lexend was picked out by my son immediately. It was no contest. He found it easier to read, and that was all I needed to see.
I also tried Comic Neue, a refined version of Comic Sans (yes, really), which proved more readable than half the fonts I started with. It reminded me that sometimes the “uncool” fonts actually do the job better.
Why It Matters
This stuff isn’t cosmetic. It’s not about being on-brand. It’s about being readable, especially for the kids who need the most help. The ones who already feel behind. The ones for whom a single word can be the difference between confidence and giving up.
And it really does make a difference. When I was trying to get my son to read World of Reading Star Wars - The Battle of Endor - a story he absolutely loves, it would have been so much easier if it had been written in Lexend instead of whatever serifed font they used. There would have been far fewer tears.
Fonts matter. Letter spacing matters. Line height matters. If you’re building tools for young learners, learners with dyslexia, or just anyone who needs a little more patience from the screen - you need to care!
What I’m Using in SpellMe
Right now, SpellMe.app uses Lexend for the keyboard feature, and I will make sure that it spreads throughout the whole app. It’s clean, it’s accessible, and it makes the words feel calmer. That might sound odd, but once you see it in action, especially compared to more “standard” fonts like Times New Roman, you’ll get it. I also chose it because my son hand picked it as the most readable font when compared to others. To be honest, that was the deciding factor for me.
However, Lexend will not be the only font available. After posing the question on Reddit, it came to light that it would be best to have a choice of fonts. Even though I mentioned that the Serifed font of the Star Wars book my son was struggling to read brought tears to his eyes, it’s not like that for all readers, and not even readers that have learning disabilities. There are some fonts like the EasyReading typeface which is a hybrid font, using both serif and sans serif features.
All of this makes a difference. Let’s take the main picture for this article right at the top. It’s eye-opening.
For some readers, no matter what the word actually is, one font says: this is hard, and the other says: you’ve got this! Can you guess which one is which?
What’s Next
I’m still refining the UI, and fonts will continue to be part of that. Yes, it definitely has to look good. But it really has to work too, for as many beginner spellers and readers as possible. It has to be something that supports children instead of getting in their way.
If you’re building for learners, especially struggling learners, take another look at your fonts. Better yet, try reading your content at age 7, with half the confidence.
It might change everything.
If you’re interested, check out SpellMe.app for yourself. I’d love to hear your opinion.
Edit: Lexend use has now extended to the rest of the main app as well as the landing page, not just the keyboard anymore. Help docs and legals to come.
I’m an education specialist, a developer, and a parent. This is why I’m building a spelling app from scratch, and what I’ve learned.
The What
So, I’ve decided to build my own spelling app. Why? Because I’ve seen up close how frustrating spelling can be, even for bright and motivated learners. Watching loved ones struggle made it clear how disheartening the process can feel. And when I looked for tools to help, most existing apps treated spelling as pass or fail, without giving learners the chance to learn from mistakes. I wanted to design something that makes room for trial, error, and persistence, so learners can grow at their own pace."
The Context
I’ve seen up close how bright, adventurous kids can find spelling, as well as reading and writing, really tough. As an education specialist, I’ve supported learners through those challenges, and I know how much persistence, effort, and patience it requires. Progress is always possible, but it’s rarely easy.
The fact is that students who are neurodivergent learn differently. They have different educational needs that should be catered to. I'm just a little surprised that in 2025, with all the technology and knowledge we have at our disposal, some apps and educators, totally ignore the needs of many students, expecting them to learn the same way that neurotypical students do. It doesn't need to be this way.
So, when it came to spelling , I wanted to take a different approach from what is already out there. I didn’t want the process to feel like another uphill battle. I wanted it to be fun, but still focused on learning, something that considered different learning styles, but also gave students the chance to fail and retry without pressure or fear.
This isn’t going to be an app for only a small section of the student population. Like the curb-cut effect, the inclusive principles behind it are designed to benefit everyone, not just the learners they were originally intended for.
The Build
Truth is, I’m already about four months in. Thanks to the power of AI (and some very deep rabbit holes), I’ve reached solid beta stage. Could it have gone faster? Sure, if I wasn’t so focused on the details.
So why am I writing about it now? Because I finally have something worth sharing, enough small wins, surprises, and headaches to talk about. Maybe even a few things that could save someone else time, whether they’re building for learning or just trying to figure out what makes good edtech.
Like… why is browser TTS so wildly inconsistent? Why is coding for Safari on iOS just like coding for Internet Explorer back in the day (if you know you know!). And why do so many apps that should make things easier for students with learning difficulties end up not doing that at all?
Come along
I’ll be writing more about all of this, especially from the perspective of an education specialist/developer. And I’ll share more about the journey with spellme.app in future posts.
For now, feel free to check it out, and if you’ve been through something similar, whether as a parent, teacher, or dev, I’d love to hear your experiences. Tips, feedback, warnings, they’re all welcome.