SPELL-Links:
Research based. Results proven.
Improve K–12 student literacy and education outcomes by introducing a new paradigm of effective structured literacy instruction that produces proficient writers and fluent readers with strong comprehension and rich vocabularies.
The Science Behind SPELL-Links
Building the Brain for Language and Literacy
SPELL-Links™ uniquely applies clinical and neurobiological brain research, using speech-to-print multi-linguistic word study instruction to leverage the biological organization and wiring of the brain and develop the neural pathways critical for proficient reading, writing, and spelling.
SPELL‑Links uses a speech‑to‑print approach that aligns with the way the brain learns language. Instead of memorizing letter–sound pairs or rote word lists, students learn to connect and combine:
- Sounds (phonology)
- Letter patterns (orthography)
- Meaning (morphology and semantics)
- Lexical storage and retrieval
This multi‑linguistic, connectionist approach builds deep word knowledge that supports growth in both spelling and reading.
Research Snapshot: Why This Matters
A recent meta‑analysis of 327 effect sizes across spelling intervention studies shows:
- Multi‑linguistic instruction works. Approaches integrating phonology, orthography, and morphology produce strong spelling gains.
- Speech‑to‑print instruction boosts reading. Interventions that include speech‑to‑print teaching—i.e., a focus on phoneme–letter correspondences for spelling—improve not only spelling but also word reading accuracy.
Bottom line: When students receive individualized, speech‑to‑print, multi‑linguistic spelling instruction, we see the biggest impact on both spelling and reading development.
SPELL-Links delivers these research‑backed methods in powerful 1:1 intervention and group instruction.
Bringing the Research to You
Read a curated selection of new language literacy research when you connect with educators and researchers across multiple disciplines via SPELL-Link’d. This online professional learning community is dedicated to advancing educators’ understanding of current research and application of best practices in word study and structured literacy instruction.
Wired for Spoken Language
Re-Wired for Written Language
Research & Results
A Speech-to-Print Summer Literacy Camp for Children with Reading Difficulties (Poster session. Sanabria, A., et al. 2025 California Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference) In this study conducted at San Diego State University, 12 rising 1st grade to rising 5th grade students who were identified as having language or reading difficulties received seven 60-minute sessions of SPELL-Links intervention during the summer months. Statistically significant improvement was observed in number of phoneme segments correctly spelled in words, PA, and nonword repetition. Additional qualitative observations of growth were reported by parents and interventionists.
SPELL-Links Outcome Data: Piloting a Graduate Student-led Summer Spelling Program: Child Outcomes and Student Reflections. (Poster session. Henbest, V., 2024 ASHA Annual Conference) This study, conducted at the University of South Alabama, involved four 2nd- to 4th-grade students with language disorders, three of whom were on the autism spectrum. The students achieved gains in word-level reading and spelling after participating in 16-20 hours of SPELL-Links group intervention, led by two speech-language pathology graduate students over the course of one summer semester.
SPELL-Links Outcome Data: The Impact of Transcription Writing Interventions for First-Grade Students (Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2017) In this study conducted by the Florida Center on Reading Research (FCRR), low-performing first grade students who received SPELL-Links intervention in small groups outperformed the control group with moderate effect sizes across different measures of spelling and curriculum-based writing.
Morphological Awareness Intervention with Kindergartners and 1st and 2nd Grade Students from Low Socioeconomic Status Homes: A Feasibility Study (Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in the Schools, 2013) This 9-week study examined the effect of morphological awareness intervention on the morphological awareness and literacy skills of students from low socio-economic status homes using a variety of intervention tasks including meta-linguistic analysis word relatives and manipulation of morphemes, methods featured in SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing. Results showed medium to very large clinically significant gains in morphological awareness and literacy abilities across all participants.
Morphological Awareness Intervention with Kindergartners and 1st and 2nd Grade Students from Low Socioeconomic Status Homes: A Small Efficacy Study (Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2013) This 8-week study examined the effect of morphological awareness intervention on the morphological awareness and reading skills of students from low socioeconomic status homes using a variety of intervention tasks including meta-linguistic analysis word relatives and manipulation of morphemes, methods featured in SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing. Students receiving intervention showed statistically significant gains in morphological awareness with large effect sizes on most measures.
Teaching Literacy Using a Multiple-Linguistic Word-Study Spelling Approach: A Systematic Review (EBP Briefs, 2009) A systematic review of the peer-reviewed quantitative research related to language and literacy outcomes in school-age children using a multiple-linguistic spelling instructional approach. Studies that used SPELL-Links™ to Reading & Writing activities are included in this review.
The Spelling Sensitivity Score: Representing Increases in Accuracy and Complexity (ASHA, 2009) The Spelling Sensitivity Score (SSS), based on the SPELL & SPELL-Links prescriptive and multi-linguistic word study model, represents what children’s spellings reveal about their word study knowledge and captures developmental changes in children’s literacy performance.
Classroom Implementation of the Multi-linguistic Model for Literacy Instruction (ASHA, 2008) This three-year project examined the effects of the SPELL & SPELL-Links prescriptive and multi-linguistic word study model for grades 3–5. The project found that SPELL-Links improves nonsense and real word decoding, as well as spelling accuracy in writing samples.
Criterion Validity of the Spelling Performance Evaluation for Language and Literacy – SPELL (ASHA, 2006) The criterion validity of SPELL spelling assessment software is established by its significant correlation with the Test of Written Spelling-4 and the Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery.
Outcomes Report: SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing (Language and Literacy Learning in Schools, 2004) Third and fourth grade students who received nine weeks of SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing word study and structured literacy instruction demonstrated large, statistically significant gains in spelling skills in comparison to students who received traditional spelling instruction.
Outcomes Report: SPELL & SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing (Communication Disorders Quarterly, 2004) A fourth grade student showed significant gains in spelling and decoding skills after receiving the SPELL assessment and nine weeks of word study intervention using the structured literacy instruction methods of the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing word study curriculum.
Second Chances: Improving Decoding Skills in the Older Student (Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in the Schools, 1999) The assessment and intervention procedures used in SPELL-Links are examined in this 33-hour intervention case study with an adult college student. Post-intervention measures revealed significant improvement in word attack and word identification reading scores with percentile gains of 10 to 14 points and grade equivalent increases of 3 to 5 years across measures. Reading rate increased and error rate decreased, advancing the student from a difficult text to instructional text reading level.
For more research and publications about SPELL-Links, check Google Scholar.
Successes & Testimonials
SPELL-Links Assessment
I have been so impressed with the specific information the SPELL-3 provides. I am working with a 6th-grade student. It was so helpful to share the results from the SPELL-3 with her teachers and family. I went over the intervention plan with my student, and she has been pleased to follow along with her progress. After working on reading for so many years, she likes seeing the specific skills we are targeting and why, based on her SPELL-3 assessment.
SPELL-Links assessment will direct teachers toward…aspects of language and encourage the use of more enlightened instruction practices that truly educate students in word study. I am pleased to be among the first to appreciate the excellent work that has gone into this product, and I applaud the authors’ achievement.
SPELL-3...what an amazing assessment for students with dyslexia! The assessment creates an individualized intervention plan to improve a student's spelling and basic reading skills that many teachers would not have the time or necessary level of specialized training to develop on their own.
I administered the SPELL-3 for the first time recently. I had never administered the SPELL-2 because I was waiting for the MAC version. It was amazing to get the results so quickly. I used the information from the report to write my IEP goals and to "wow" the IEP team with my presentation! I can see how this will be a game changer and time saver, while adding value to my intervention.
I truly love the SPELL-3 because of all the reports it gives for easy lesson planning and valuable information to share with parents. Thank you for the organization that SPELL-3 gives us to teach our students at the level they’re at, so we can be efficient with the time we have, to build success.
The SPELL-Links assessment is critical to discovering the student’s exact needs, so you don’t waste time working on spelling patterns that the student doesn’t need. The curriculum is explicit and systematic and there are a lot of fun activities that the students enjoy.
SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing
Within 4–6 weeks of SPELL-Links instruction, parents often notice a ripple effect. Their child begins paying closer attention to the sounds in words and making progress beyond the patterns we've directly taught—because the entire Language Literacy Network is activated every time they spell words.
I am continually amazed by how well SPELL-Links works. I haven't seen my students for 2-3 weeks because of state testing. We resumed sessions this week and I was nervous that the students weren't going to remember what we had been working on. They were able to jump right back in with just a short review because SPELL-Links is based on strategies, rules, and patterns, not rote memorization of words that fade after a short time. My kids, who have working memory deficits, intellectual disabilities, and language disorders, were able to do well because they have been given the tools to succeed. I can see their growing confidence and their smiles as they know how to spell words and can clearly express WHY they used the spelling of a given sound.
In the NICHD-funded research on specific learning disabilities (SLDs) involving language that I directed as principal investigator for over 25 years (cross-sectional, longitudinal, genetic, brain imaging, and school- based and clinic- based interventions) our interdisciplinary team published evidence showing that not all reading disabilities are the same and not all writing disabilities are the same. Findings showed that dysgraphia (impaired letter production), dyslexia (impaired word decoding/reading and word encoding/spelling), and oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD; impaired syntactic skills for language by ear, mouth, eye, and/or hand) differed… yet all three SLDs benefit from spelling instruction as in SPELL-Links.
My daughter couldn’t even read basic words until third grade. The public school system failed her in early elementary years. She started private OG intervention in second grade which helped her begin understanding the letter-sound relationship. However, her attempts to read even very simple words were still rough with poor accuracy. A year after I took the Building the Brain from Speech to Print workshop and got Amelia SPELL-Links services at school, she also started working privately with a SPELL-Links Certified Provider. This is where the magic happened. The SPELL-Links Certified Provider masterfully used the metalinguistic strategies in SPELL-Links to move Amelia into decoding multisyllabic words during a three-week summer intensive program. It was amazing. Since then, Amelia has continued to work with her private SPELL-Links provider and steadily improved. I advocate for SPELL-Links every opportunity I get because it truly changes children’s lives. Thank you, to SPELL-Links author Jan Wasowicz, for bringing SPELL-Links to the world. As for our SPELL-Links Certified Provider, Adria Leno, I’m not sure I can even put into words how grateful I am for how much she’s helped Amelia. Every practitioner using SPELL-Links is changing lives. If you are one of them, you are doing amazing things. So even on the challenging days remember there’s a mama, like me, who will be forever grateful for the role you’ve played in their child’s life.
I love the reorganization of the cloud! It is so much easier to navigate. I like how the activities are numbered within the lessons and how the worksheets for each activity are right next to the word cards for that lesson. I love that the cloud is searchable. This version is so much more practical and usable for me, because I don't always pull out my physical curriculum anymore when I'm doing a lesson. This is going to greatly improve the instructional experience for practitioners like me.
I love the flip book feature of the cloud reorganization. It seems much faster to use and is user-friendly. The print feature is great to print the current page or section of pages. The table of contents and thumbnail are really nice additions for organization. The lessons are comprehensive with everything in one place (including the Home Link! Yes!).
I am a parent who homeschools my 6-year-old girl with dyslexia and an 8-year-old with CAS. I've seen SPELL-Links do wonders with my children. I have seen them change so much using this program in such a quick amount of time.
I found SPELL-Links through research. I am thrilled so far and know that SPELL-Links will be able to unlock reading and writing for a group of middle schoolers I teach that our mandated district special education curriculum has failed. I can already see differences this early in the school year.
Any parent or teacher who has seen SPELL-Links in action or has watched their child grow through the program quickly becomes a strong advocate for the program. I am excited to show others the incredible potential and benefits of SPELL-Links instruction and look forward to being a part of the growth of SPELL-Links' speech-to-print instruction in my school as well as in other school districts.
SPELL-Links is affordable and a great fit for a university clinic that is also tasked with training SLP students. Ease of use has been great for them. The speech-to-print emphasis is evident throughout all of the activities.
I am JAZZED about the SPELL-Links methodology! I had been investigating the program for a couple of years before I invested in the program—but coming from an OG background, although a speech-to-print approach intuitively made sense to me, I experienced a lot of cognitive dissonance when trying to think the separate approaches through. I wish I had done so sooner, but we're ready when we are ready.
The curriculum is…amazing. I love that it has pattern-loaded writing and reading materials to go along with the lesson plans. I’m really blown away by the detail of these lessons. I’m trained in Orton Gillingham and I’ve dabbled in Words Their Way. Your SPELL-Links program is better than the two of these combined with a shot of steroids. It’s fabulous.
I chose SPELL-Links because of the manuals, materials, and reputation.
The best aspect of the SPELL-Links curriculum, in my opinion, was the incorporation of the 14 strategies for success. I appreciated having those repetitive phrases to use to remind the students what to do when faced with a challenging word (either to decode or encode). I even had some students who would remind their peers of the strategies if they were struggling. I also appreciated the relative flexibility of the SPELL-Links curriculum. It was easy to turn many of the lessons into games, which was essential in that final week when focus was scattered.
The activity that I feel had the most impact on student growth was the students being able to read stories that contained the targeted sounds.
The best aspect of the SPELL-Links curriculum was the number of activities and sections each lesson provided. This approach allowed students to build on from the day before and utilize the words in a different context such as the short stories/sentences and the writing activities.
I chose to use SPELL-Links because the strategic way in which it's laid out provides a framework for children to learn and work…It’s real, and it’s relevant, and it’s practical.
We are finding great success with the SPELL-Links program.
I chose SPELL-Links because of the SPELL-Link'd community, the strong research base, and the structured flexibility of the program.
The greatest reward of choosing to include SPELL-Links in my intervention is how I see it impacting my students. There is an “a-ha” moment that I have noticed with many of my students when they realize they can read and write words without arduously memorizing them first. They become more engaged in the process and intervention comes alive.
It’s as if I see education through different lenses now. I can’t NOT see ineffective ways to teach reading and spelling anymore. Thank you for opening my eyes and making me a better SLP.
I have experienced great success using the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum over the past few years. My experience with SPELL-Links began several years ago when my district was looking for a way to help a dyslexic middle schooler who was still struggling despite receiving years of Wilson reading interventions. I proposed the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing curriculum as an intervention to help this student. My supervisor tasked me with piloting the SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing program with several students in the district. I saw the results of the SPELL-Links program almost immediately. The progress that students made through the program was evident to teachers, case managers, parents, and the students themselves. The students remarked that the program was unlike anything they had ever experienced in school before. At IEP meetings, every parent requested a continuation and an increase of SPELL-Links services. As word spread of these students’ successes, parents and case managers began reaching out to have more students receive interventions through SPELL-Links. SPELL-Links’ speech-to-print approach has been truly transformative for so many of my students.
My son enjoyed the sessions and remained engaged throughout each session. The instruction made a lot of sense to him, and it was fun to get answers correct, especially being able to spell words he didn’t previously know how to spell. He even said it was fun and looked forward to the next session. Priceless!
I got an update from my son's SLP tonight about their progress using SPELL-Links. They've been at it for nearly three years now. My son is 16 and profoundly dyslexic, OCD and has auditory processing disorder. When he started with his SLP, he was working around a 2nd grade level. Thank you, Jan, for your work. I am deeply appreciative. My son's saving grace has been SPELL-Links.
SPELL-Links Wordtivities
It’s very difficult to find evidence-based group instruction curriculum, and Wordtivities certainly fits the bill. It doesn’t simply focus on isolated areas pertaining to reading or spelling, but rather teaches the students to integrate all areas of language including phonology, morphology, semantics, and syntax to become better readers, spellers, and writers.
The Interactive Sound Wall is an amazing addition to my SPELL-Links products! I use it daily now.
SPELL-Links is easily implemented as a Tier 1 program for classroom teachers, while also being able to be used for intervention—and it incorporates morphology!
SPELL-Links Wordtivities Word Lists
To me, the appeal of SPELL-Links Wordtivities Word Lists is rather multifaceted. It continues to be very difficult to find an evidence-based group instruction curriculum, and SPELL-Links Wordtivities Word Lists fit the bill. Because SPELL-Links Wordtivities Word Lists focus on skills integration of spelling, reading, speaking, and listening, it allows the students to engage in contextually based opportunities to become better listeners, speakers, readers, spellers and writers.
SPELL-Links Strategies by the Numbers
I love the fact that SPELL-Links Strategies by the Numbers is based on the connectionist research model, which views spelling and reading as a ‘dynamic interplay of phonological, orthographic, and semantic knowledge.’ Consequently, the strategies in this book focus on simultaneously developing and strengthening phonological, orthographic, semantic, and morphological knowledge during reading and writing tasks.
The SPELL-Links strategies are so universal and applicable to both reading and writing. I love seeing that moment when my second graders realize, “Oh, wait—this strategy works for writing, too!” There is such a sense of relief when my students realize that the process CAN get easier, and they CAN do it. The fact that the strategies are helpful beyond a specific vowel sound or word is just what my students need.
SPELL-Links WordUP!
I have just begun to use SPELL-Links WordUP! with my students and they really like it. It's nice to put down the pencil every once in a while, to take a "break" that's actually learning in disguise! Thank you!
There are so many times when my sessions are cut short because of all the folderol in the school schedules that I use SPELL-Links WordUP! as my back-up plan for students working on anything. It's nice to have a set of grade-level words to utilize at the flick of a...well not a switch but a virtual dial.
My students love SPELL-Links WordUP! and I use it at the beginning of a session and for a break sometimes. I have some parents who use it regularly and a student who enjoys the challenge of stretching herself to higher grades.
This app has been a wonderful, quick start to my early literacy-based sessions. My first-grade students are quickly engaged with the simplicity of the app (they learned the buttons/options quickly), and they cheer each other when they get an answer right. My older students are even willing to give it a try. I have noticed progress with their auditory perception of sounds and their ability to link sounds and letters. Great app!
I wanted a game for the iPad to boost my son's spelling skills. This app is different than other apps we've tried because it makes my son hear a sound and then pick what letter(s) spell that sound. We have fun with this app and love the sound effects.
This is a great tool for my students to practice their word level reading and apply what they know about allowable spellings. It’s a fun way for them to really think about how words are spelled. I use this at the end of our tutoring sessions and like that I can customize the words for all the different ages and levels of kids who come to our center for tutoring.
SPELL-Links Professional Development
Let me say how much I appreciate that SPELLTalk remains thoughtful and focused on the more objective side of things in the field. Many of the previously trustworthy social media venues which started out talking about science, no longer are places to go for reasoned discussion. So, this one is important to me.”
I follow SPELLTalk faithfully and it is a beacon in my praxis with my graduate students. I find that supporting them in analysis of actual critical discourse between experts has made them keenly aware of the difference between these rich, thoughtful and thought-provoking conversations and what flows across their social media feeds, primarily marketing programs to be implemented with fidelity and without question. Their administrators are influenced by the latter and these master teachers are gaining a much more informed and nuanced perspective as well as the capacity to employ research more effectively to cut through the hype.
I just completed the PA for Practitioners course in SPELL-Link'd and want to say a BIG thank you for such an amazing experience! I’m leaving with over 15 pages of notes and a ton of enthusiasm to put what I’ve learned into practice. Thank you again for this incredible opportunity!
This course (PA for Practitioners in SPELL-Link'd) affirmed some things that I did know, reminded me of what I had forgotten and expanded my PA skills. My learning goals were met. I hope to be more proficient and effective in my role working with students and educators.
The case study workshop is PRICELESS! So many things just.make.SENSE now! THANK YOU for allowing us to be flies on the wall of these sessions. My understanding has gone up exponentially!
Watching the implementation of SPELL-Links in the case study workshop was the most valuable PD I've participated in. PD like this is vital for me to become confident and effective in delivering SPELL-Links instruction. I also loved reading the commentary of the other participants on SPELL-Link'd.
The case study workshop was fascinating and really, really helpful and kind of fun.
I have picked up many helpful tidbits that I will utilize with my students after viewing the case study workshop videos. Thank you!
Through the SPELL-Links Certified Provider Program, I have been able to greatly increase my knowledge in order to deliver effective, evidence-based speech-to-print instruction. The program has greatly benefited me as a professional and led to better literacy outcomes for my students and for my school district.
I just listened to Jan's discussion of the SPELL-Links approach. She really fleshes out the approach, with demonstrations and the theoretical underpinnings of the program. It is a brilliant approach—especially because of the connectionist model that so mirrors the brain's neurological connections. This mirroring is what I was initially wondering about when exploring the program. Because the different areas of the brain involved in language comprehension (and manipulation of print-linguistic text, i.e., written communication) always work in concert, it makes so much sense to engage all the brain's regions by pulling together instruction using phonology, orthography and morphology—and eventually on to syntax.
In a graduate course on school-age language, I include The Language Literacy Network right after the students have been exposed to the Reading Rope which (despite its limitations) is initially easier to understand. Once the students understand the Reading Rope, we talk about what's missing and then we transition to The Language Literacy Network, which provides so much more information about the integration of oral and literate language processes. Thank you for your amazing work!
The Language Literacy Network is SO powerful and resonates with my study and observation over decades. I am observing classroom practice becoming more and more disintegrated, and writing has been cast aside. My pre-service teachers and graduate in-service teachers will be learning this model!
I am being asked to continue my speech-to-print research, and to date, SPELL-Links has been the strongest program I have found and the SPELL-Links community has been such a blessing. I am excited to continue learning and growing.
After completing the SPELL-Links Certified Provider Program, I am even more confident than when I first advocated for the use of SPELL-Links in my school that speech-to-print instruction is effective with students who are struggling to read and that I can effectively serve this population of students.
I like that SPELL-Links has an online community and that there are many webinars presented by highly qualified professionals.
The best part of training was definitely that it was ongoing. I had a wonderful time teaching and learned a lot about literacy instruction.
The best part of the training process was the ample amount of support I had. I felt very comfortable asking questions. It was a great experience and I learned a lot!
Shout out to the workshop presenters for creating an amazing learning experience! The supportive learning environment helped me develop a stronger understanding of the logistics of using SPELL-Links and I can’t wait to put my learning into practice with my clients! Watching the student demonstrate how to put the strategies into action in a lesson was the “glue” that helped me pull it all together! If you are feeling FOMO reading this…go.next.year! I decided at the very last possible second to attend and it was one of the best decisions of my 25 year career!
One of the greatest assets of the SPELL-Links program is access to a community of practitioners. It is wonderful to be able to post questions on SPELL-Link’d whenever I need advice and receive great ideas and suggestions!
The supportive learning environment at the workshop deepened my understanding of SPELL-Links and its implementation! I am excited to see all the growth my students make. This truly was one of my best educational experiences in years.
I love everything about SPELL-Links and feel propelled, refreshed and excited to implement methods with increased ease and flexibility after attending the workshop. I feel empowered!
Attending the workshop is not “working” over the summer. It is reigniting your passion to do better!
This workshop was jam-packed with information on how to implement SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing. I learned so much. Thank you.
For anyone who is waffling about whether the workshop will really, truly change how you can implement effective therapy, I urge you to take this step!
The best part of the online workshop was seeing the methods and materials implemented with an actual student by a master clinician.
The Language Literacy Network is a slice of genius that I have been waiting for since about 1989!
SPELL-Link'd is the best community of incredible people that I have ever worked with. I consider it a gift to belong to SPELL-Link'd.
After taking your course, I was inspired and purchased SPELL-Links for my most dyslexic clients. It has been a slow process for them, but we are tenacious and after using if for the last 6 months, we are getting improvement in their phonological awareness, reading fluency and spelling. The most interesting development has been in the speech production of a severely apraxic 4th grader. After doing the visualization lesson where she searches for patterns and words inside a word, we have seen improvement in her awareness of her most difficult sound group—the various r-colored vowels. Having that knowledge has dramatically improved her speech production. My team of SLPs and literacy specialists are all excited about using SPELL-Links for a variety of challenges!
I love the webinars I’ve attended and utilization of SPELL-Links/the Connectionist Model has changed my approach and thought-process as a therapist (for the better!). It feels very holistic and is effective. Aside from reading needs, I’ve even found significant benefit in setting the foundation for the reading in my late-preschool/early-elementary articulation therapy utilizing the foundations of SPELL-Links. I highly recommend clinicians sign up for the webinars—very useful information to have!