Wordshark Online

White Space Ltd

Wordshark Online: web-based games for reading and spelling

Product Type: Software

Location: UK

Age Range: 4-115-77-1111-1314-16

Platform: PCMacTabletInternet-based

Environment: ClassroomHome

Special Educational Needs

Wordshark Online offers motivating games to address the often difficult task of teaching students to read and spell.

Courses in Wordshark Online:

Secondary School Subject Lists (Useful for KS3) Click here for a summary
Wordshark Course (structured course & same content as in Supershark) Click here for a summary
Nat.Curriculum 2014 England: spellings Click here for a summary
‘Alpha to Omega’ Click here
Everyday Vocabulary (useful for EAL) Click here
High Frequency Words (HFW) Click here
Create your own lists and courses Click here

This new product has been developed for whole class/whole school teaching – not just for SEND, EAL, Catch-up etc… It is web-based, so that teachers and students can access it from anywhere, including on Chromebooks or iPads – at home as well as at school. Teachers can plan lessons when and wherever they want. Once students are added to Wordshark and have been given their login details, they take a baseline test which places each student at the best starting point in Wordshark. They can then continue to work independently and move forward on their own individual learning journey. This gives teachers more time to focus on help where it is really needed. Wordshark offers great flexibility: you can use the Supershark course with its automatic progression, or use one of the other courses in your own way, or you can decide to set work for your students – or add your own words. Wordshark online has a new look, an easy-to-use interface, photos and videos, and new style reports.

Age neutral graphics are suitable for older students as well as the younger ones, with material ranging from simple 3-letter words through to challenging sets for very able spellers. Wordshark includes a spelling course for the National Curriculum 2014 (England), a structured Wordshark spelling course, high frequency words and everyday vocabulary lists. A synthetic phonics approach is also offered. The program includes over 10,000 pre-recorded words, sounds, and photos/videos. Variable speeds and other options meet all grades of skill.

Costs: £340 per annum

For Wordshark Online there are various options depending on whether you are a teacher, tutor or parent. All subscription plans are based on the number of students that will have an account:

Schools: Schools can start with a free trial, or order up front (with a free month added if not having the trial time.) Schools can order on account. school page for Wordshark Online

Tutors: There are 3 plans to choose from, all starting with a trial. Tutor plans are a monthly subscription that requires card details. tutor page for Wordshark Online

Parents: If the children attend a school or tutor that has invested in ‘Wordshark Online’ then they can access the program this way. If not, an alternative is the desktop edition, Wordshark 5 which can be bought as a Home Download, or it’s possible to sign up to the monthly ‘tutor’ plan. Both options for parents are via this link

Trial Options: Tutors 2 weeks, schools 1 month

For Wordshark Online users there is a training page including free webinar demos for before, during, or after a trial/subscription.

Schools: For ‘Wordshark Online’ there is a free month trial option

Tutors: For ‘Wordshark Online’, for tutors there is a 2 week free trial and 3 plans to choose from. A card is required up front although it is possible to cancel the subscription before the trial ends.

Parents: For version 5 ‘desktop’ products there is no trial. However, there is a money back guarantee instead for the first 2 weeks. Alternatively, it may be possible to access Wordshark Online, the new subscription product, via a tutor or the school if one of these has subscribed to the program. Via the link above there is also a link to the online program, ‘tutor’ plans.

For version 5 products and also for Wordshark Online there are information centres, in addition to information on the main website.

Access Home Learning Resources

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I was looking for something engaging and fun for covering those basic skills, but needed something that was particularly appealing for boys. .... I was so taken with the quality of the resource and the testimonials that I decided to purchase Numbershark as well!

Nancy Lees, Headteacher, Castleton C of E Primary School

I like Wordshark because I know it works. I have been using it for years and it's my 'go to' with children who need support with reading and spelling.

Karen Hackman, KS2 Coordinator and Year 5 Teacher, St Andrew's Preparatory School, Turi, Kenya

I became quite an ambassador for Wordshark/Numbershark (at my old school), recently building the Wordshark (network) licences up to 30. This was done by recording evidence in the children's work and using this as part of my performance management.

Mrs Samantha Pollard, Teacher/IT support, now at St John's school, Gosport