Overview

Children write dictated words by hand, then submit a photo for OCR scoring and feedback. That makes PenPoints a better fit for practice that combines spelling with handwriting than an app centered on tapping answers. Parents and teachers can review results, with wordlists adapted to school year and curriculum.

Adults can create custom wordlists, and teachers have access to rule-specific lists. Results can include definitions, synonyms and antonyms, extending practice beyond whether a word was spelled correctly. PenPoints also supports phonics instruction and corrective practice.

Key features

Paper dictation and OCR feedback

The child writes words on paper and submits a photo; OCR scores the handwriting and provides feedback. This approach keeps pencil-and-paper writing central, but it requires a camera-equipped device and an internet connection. The app is available for phones and tablets on iOS and Android, with no offline access.

Practice for families and teachers

Parents and teachers can assign exercises and review results. Teachers can use SpellStation challenges, while rule-specific lists give them another way to target a spelling pattern. The parents page says one account does not currently support multiple children, a significant constraint for families who want to manage siblings together.

Automated homework and live class assessment are described as coming soon on the teacher page; they are not current capabilities to rely on. The free teacher allowance already includes up to five live assessments, alongside its other quotas.

Privacy and support

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 limits collected child information to a first name, while opted-in third-party analytics may collect device, usage, crash, IP, location and advertising-interaction data. Users can delete an account in settings, after which associated data is to be permanently removed from the database. The contact page gives hello@penpoints.app and says the team strives to respond within 24 hours.

Pricing

Free: 0.00 USD per free. PenPoints is described as a free app, with no paid plan specified. For teachers without a school plan, the stated allowance is one homework exercise per week, 90 SpellStation credits, up to five live class assessments and up to 30 individual exercises. That is enough to explore the teacher workflow or support modest activity, but the weekly homework cap and finite challenge credits may restrict regular use across a class. The free access is attractive for families, though its one-child account limit makes it less convenient for multi-child households.

Platforms

PenPoints runs on Android and iOS phones and tablets. An internet connection is required, so it is not suited to practice where a reliable connection is unavailable.

Who it's for

PenPoints suits children aged 6–12 whose adults want spelling practice to include handwriting, as well as teachers looking for dictation, curriculum-adapted lists and photo-scored work. It is a weaker fit for families managing several children in one account, teachers who need more than the stated free allowances, or learners who need offline practice.

Pros and cons

Pros: Paper dictation connects spelling practice to handwriting rather than screen-only answers.
Pros: Curriculum-adapted and custom lists let adults tailor practice; teachers also get rule-specific lists.
Pros: Definitions, synonyms and antonyms can add vocabulary context to scored results.
Pros: Free access includes meaningful teacher tools, including SpellStation credits and live assessments.
Cons: One account does not currently support multiple children, limiting convenience for siblings.
Cons: Teachers without a school plan face weekly and activity caps that may constrain class-wide use.
Cons: Internet is required and offline access is unavailable.

Alternatives

For a broader set of options, browse Spelling Apps.

Choose Spelling Boost if Android-only access is acceptable and core audio dictation tests, custom spelling lists, handwriting input and progress tracking are the priority. Spelling Shed is a fit for teams wanting Android, iOS and web access plus tests, games, challenges and leagues, with its free tier’s histories limited to seven days. Consider Spelling.Live for a credit-based option across mobile and web, where free sign-up credits expire after 90 days without a practice session.

SpellMe offers a free Basic tier with five lists, ten words per list, 300+ curated phonics word lists and Regular Mode, and supports a wider range of platforms. Spell Up is another freemium option for Android, iOS and web. Choose DoodleSpell if a paid school subscription with a free trial better fits the requirement. MySpellings is an Android freemium alternative with a one-off Premium unlock. Wordshark is a paid alternative with a free trial and support across mobile, desktop and web.

Verdict

PenPoints is a strong fit for a family with one child or a teacher who wants children to practise spelling with pencil and paper, then receive OCR feedback without paying for access. Its central advantage is joining handwriting, dictation and adult oversight in one workflow. Look elsewhere if you need multiple children under one account, offline use, or teacher capacity beyond the free quotas.

	PenPoints	Spelling Stars
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	Free	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS	Web
Free plan	Yes	No
Phonics instruction	Yes	Yes
Dictation practice	Yes	—
Corrective practice	Yes	Yes
Teacher dashboard	Yes	Yes
Offline access	No	No
Word-list import	Yes	Yes

PenPoints vs Spelling Stars

PenPoints

Spelling Stars