Master Spell Help Topics

2. Features

Master Spell administers spelling drills using recorded speech and the Mac's speech capabilities.

Thirty-three progressive levels for 1st Grade through Adult

There are 29 progressive levels to master for 1st grade through 5th grade and a core words test for each grade which are available to registered users. Four progressive levels for 6th grade through adult plus ten other tests are included. A total of 3,690 unique words with sentences or definitions with voice recordings are available to registered users.

Previewing of Words Before a Drill and Retry for Half Credit

Short-term recall helps re-inforce spelling. This is done in two ways. Optionally you can preview words before a drill. Words that are spelled incorrectly during the drill can be retried for half credit.

Built-in Test Editor for Custom Spelling Word Lists

Master Spell includes a test editor so that tests can be easily created, edited and tested for correct pronunciation without learning any arcane syntax. You can record your own sayings with the built-in recorder. Sentences and definitions can be matched to your words from a 3,690-word source. Recordings are automatically found for any matching words. See 7. Creating Tests

Individual Scoring and History

Each user gets a pupil file which contains the detailed results from the last drill the pupil took, a log of the pupil's score history, the pupil's Troublers along with the pupil's misspellings for those words and the pupil's last drill results.

At the end of a drill, you are presented with the History window which shows you your entire last drill in a manner simlilar to if you had taken a written test. The History window always shows you how many words you've tried with this pupil and your total word average. The Drill Log keeps track of a rotating list of your last 200 drills. The Graph allows you to visually see your progress over a period of time. See 6. The History Window

Troublers List

For each pupil, Master Spell keeps a rotating list of the last 50 misspelled words in the history window. These troublers can be saved as a test, studied or printed.

Mastery Goal and Certificate Print-out

Depending on the size of the test, Master Spell will require that you score between 95%-100% for a given number of words within 20 drills in order to achieve "Mastery" for that test. The status of your Mastery and what is required for Mastery are presented in the History window on the Mastery Status tab. See 10. Lesson Plan.

Animated Owl

Learning is a little more entertaining when it is more personalized. The animated owl is featured in the drill and in the hangman game. Try clicking on the owl. She will also speak after a period of inactivity if the "Talkative" option is checked in the Preferences.

Hangman Game

For a learning diversion from the rigors of spelling drills, try the hangman game.

Two-tier Password System

Passwords for both Pupils and the Teacher can be turned on and off. The Teacher password is a "Master Key" to all Pupil files. Teachers can change their passwords and decide whether or not Pupils can change their passwords. See 4. Paswords

Multiple Class Support and Class Editor

Pupils may be divided into classes and Tests may be divided into Units so that an entire school may leave all the Pupil and Test files in one file structure. Pupils may choose their class at any time or be prompted when Master Spell is launched or when a pupil logs-off. Teachers may conveniently edit the settings of a class of pupil files at a time and switch between classes easily. All of the settings for all of the pupils in a class can be edited at once and selectively applied to single or multiple pupils. This is a fast way to assign a particular test and number of words to a whole classroom quickly. See 8. Classes and Units and 10. Multiple-users/Networks.

Support for Centralized Files in a Mac Lab

Master Spell can share a large centralized set of Pupil files and Tests with other users on a network, allowing any user to use any lab Mac. In addition, a single set of preferences can be used for all lab Macs, ensuring consistency and simplifying the changing of settings on multiple Macs. See 10. Multiple-users/Networks

Pupil Restricitions

The teacher can:

Printing of Last Drill

Master Spell will print a copy of your Last Drill results in a using the Print Last Drill… button in the History window.

Printing of Graph and Drill Log

Master Spell can print your graph, number of words drilled on, total word average and complete Drill Log using the Print Graph and Log… button in the History window.

Printing of Troublers

Master Spell will print your troublers along with your misspellings so it can be used as a study sheet to study your misspellings and correct spellings.

Printing of Certificate of Mastery

Once you have achieved mastery for a test, you can print a Certificate of Mastery acknowledging that you have mastered that test. See 9. Lesson Plan.

Anti-redundancy

Words that have not been spelled correctly on the first try in a previous drill are preferred. Redundancy only occurs if the remaining words not yet spelled correctly is less than the number being administered.

Alternate Spellings

Master Spell accepts alternate spellings for words. If the word is spelled correctly, Master Spell will present you with the alternate spelling. If the word is spelled incorrectly, Master Spell will present both spellings. Alternate words can be added using the built-in test editor.

Adjustable Pronunciation and Definitive Clues

Master Spell lists allow the ability to give definitions, examples and clarification for words that are pronounced the same way but have different spellings and different meanings.

Previewing
The pupil is given the choice to preview the word list in a different order than the order it will be administered if the option is on the preferences.

Audible and Visible Cooperative Correction

Misspelled words are presented letter by letter visually and audibly when they are misspelled during a drill so that you can compare your misspelling to the correct spelling and there is an option the preferences to also have the pupil also type the correction letter by letter.