PenPoints

PenPoints is a spelling and handwriting app for children aged 6–12, built around dictated words written on paper and scored from a photo. It is most useful to a parent or teacher guiding one child on a phone or tablet. Its paper-based practice and free access are compelling; households with multiple children and teachers needing larger quotas should look elsewhere.

Overview

PenPoints connects spelling practice with handwriting: an adult assigns words, the child writes them by hand, then submits a photo for OCR scoring and feedback. That makes it a stronger fit for pencil-and-paper practice than a tool focused only on screen-based answers. Parents and teachers can review results, and wordlists are adapted to school year and curriculum.

Adults can create custom lists, while teachers also have rule-specific lists. Results can include word definitions, synonyms and antonyms, which can extend an exercise beyond spelling. The single-account limit is a real constraint for families with more than one child: the parents page says one account does not currently support multiple children.

Key features

Dictation, handwriting and feedback

Children write dictated words on paper and submit a photo for OCR scoring and instant feedback. Phonics instruction and corrective practice are supported too. The paper-first approach suits children who need handwriting alongside spelling practice, but it requires a device to photograph the work and an internet connection; offline access is not supported.

Lists and teacher activities

School-year and curriculum-aligned wordlists provide a starting point, and custom lists let adults tailor exercises. Teachers can use rule-specific lists and SpellStation challenges. Automated homework and live class assessment are described as coming soon on the teacher page, so they are not current alternatives to the available teacher tools.

Teachers without a school plan can send one homework exercise per week, use 90 SpellStation credits, run up to five live assessments and assign up to 30 individual exercises. Those caps may be workable for limited use, but teachers managing regular assignments or larger groups may find them restrictive.

Pricing

PenPoints is free: its Free plan costs nothing. Teachers without a school plan receive the weekly homework, SpellStation credit, live-assessment and individual-exercise limits described above. The free access makes it easy for a family or teacher to try the paper-based approach without a subscription, but the teacher caps matter for sustained classroom use. No paid plan is described.

Platforms

PenPoints is available on iOS and Android phones and tablets. An internet connection is required, so it is not a fit for practice where reliable connectivity is unavailable.

Who it's for

PenPoints is aimed at children aged 6–12, with parents and teachers assigning work and reviewing results. It is best suited to one-child households and teachers who can work within the free teacher quotas. Families seeking one account for multiple children should choose another option.

The maker says PenPoints complies with GDPR and COPPA, does not sell or share user data, and shows no in-app ads. The privacy policy says child information collected is limited to first name; if users opt in to third-party analytics, those tools may collect device, usage, crash, IP, location and advertising-interaction data. Users can delete accounts in app settings, after which associated data is permanently removed from the database. Support is available at [email protected], and the team says it strives to respond within 24 hours.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Paper dictation with photo-based OCR feedback combines spelling and handwriting practice rather than relying only on screen answers.
• Pros: Curriculum-adapted and custom wordlists, plus definitions and related vocabulary in results, give adults ways to shape practice.
• Pros: Free access avoids a subscription cost, and teachers have SpellStation challenges and several assessment and exercise tools.
• Cons: One account does not support multiple children, limiting its usefulness for families with siblings.
• Cons: Free teacher quotas are finite, including one homework exercise per week and up to 30 individual exercises.
• Cons: Internet access is required, and automated homework and live class assessment are not yet current tools.

Alternatives

Spelling Apps is the broader category to browse if PenPoints’ paper-based format or one-child account limit does not suit you.

Choose SpellMe if you want a wider range of platforms, including web and desktop systems, or curated phonics lists with a free Basic plan. Spelling Notebook is an iOS and macOS option; its free app download has a user-reported 10-word list limit, and a 1.99 USD one-time Premium upgrade removes that limit. Spelling Shed is another free option on Android, iOS and web, with several activities retaining seven days of history on its Free plan.

Spelling.Live may suit readers who prefer a credit-based option: its free sign-up credits provide 200 credits, which expire after 90 days without a practice session. SpellingJoy is another freemium alternative with a free plan. Spelvo is worth considering if its free plan’s three lifetime snaps and one child profile fit your needs. Spelling Boost offers core audio dictation tests, custom lists, handwriting input and progress tracking on Android. SpellSmart is an iOS alternative with a free download.

Verdict

Choose PenPoints if a child needs spelling practice that includes handwriting and an adult can guide the exercises; its paper dictation and free access are the clearest reasons to pick it. Look elsewhere if you need one account for several children, offline practice or more generous teacher quotas.