SpellQuizzer allows you to enter your student's spelling words grouped together into lists. You can use a standard PC microphone to make an audio recording of each word which SpellQuizzer can then play back to the student when it quizzes them. You can also type in a reminder phrase for each word you enter.
Sample Lists:
SpellQuizzer comes installed with
several sample lists. You can see how SpellQuizzer quizzes users by
clicking the "Quiz me on a list!" button on the main
screen and selecting one of the sample lists.
What you need:
Before getting
started let's review the hardware needed to use SpellQuizzer:
Computer
running Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista or later.
If you do not have a PC microphone (they really are inexpensive these days - under $10 at most department stores such as WalMart or Target) or if your computer doesn't have a sound card SpellQuizzer can still quiz the student using the reminder phrases you enter for each word. But the student will benefit most if they can hear the word being read to them and this requires that you have a microphone if you are going to create your own spelling lists. A microphone is not needed if you will be using SpellQuizzer spelling lists that someone else (such as the student's teacher) creates.
Many computers (and especially laptops) come with built-in microphones. Before running out and buying a new microphone make sure that your computer doesn't already have one. If you have a microphone make sure it is plugged in to the computer's microphone input jack (usually located at the back of the computer). If you need to purchase a microphone keep in mind that you don't need to get the best quality microphone out there. Even the cheapest microphone will usually yield acceptable results. If you find that your recordings are too low to hear when you play them back click here for instructions on turning on "Microphone Boost" in Windows.
The SpellQuizzer
Main screen:
The first thing you see when you
start SpellQuizzer is its main screen.
Most of SpellQuizzer's functionality can be accessed by clicking a
button on this screen. You can use these buttons to create a spelling
list, edit a spelling list
you have already created, import
a spelling list someone else has created, or exporting
a list you have created to share it with someone else who has
SpellQuizzer. And of course, the student will click the "Quiz me
on a list!" button to have SpellQuizzer quiz them on an existing
spelling list. Some functionality can only be accessed from the menu
entries such as specifying
the SpellQuizzer database location, saving
the database to a new location, creating
a new (and empty) SpellQuizzer database, and opening the
SpellQuizzer Options screen to set
application options.
Creating a spelling list:
For SpellQuizzer to be able to
quiz your student on his or her spelling words you will need to
either create a spelling list or import a spelling list (if someone
else has already created a SpellQuizzer spelling list for the
student). See the Creating a Spelling List topic of this help file to
learn how to create a spelling list. See the Importing
a Spelling List topic to learn how to import SpellQuizzer
spelling lists that others have created.
Taking a Spelling List Quiz:
Once a spelling list has been
created or imported the student can then be quizzed by the software
on that list. The student simply clicks the "Quiz me on a
list!" button on the main screen
to select a list to be quizzed on. See the Taking
a Quiz topic for more details.
Setting SpellQuizzer Options:
You can open the Options
Screen by selecting "Edit Application Options..." from
the File Menu. There you can turn on password protection so that
students can't add or edit spelling lists as well as set other
application options.