Start a free trial

Latest blog posts

National Pie Day: Expressions about Pie in the English Language

Not to be confused with National Pi Day (which falls on March 14th), January 23rd marks National Pie Day, which has been an annual celebration of pies since the 1970s. The celebration was started in Boulder, Colorado, by nuclear engineer, brewer, and teacher Charlie Papazian who decided his birthday would be called National Pie Day. A pie is a dish baked in a pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top. Common pie fillings include meat and vegetables in a savoury sauce or fruit. You may also have heard Americans refer to pizza as pie ñ this is because pizza is the Italian word for pie. Click here to see the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word and here for the Spellzone...

read more

Word for Wednesday: Z words

This week we’ll be expanding your vocabulary with three words beginning with the letter ‘Z’. How many can ‘Z’ words can you think of (no Zebra’s allowed!)? Firstly, let’s start with the evocative word ‘zephyr’. Zephyr comes from the Greek ‘zephyros’ meaning ‘the west wind’. This ancient meaning remains but has expanded to include any light breeze or lightweight article of clothing. Lovely. Next on the menu is the delicious Italian snack, 'zeppoli'! A zeppoli or zeppole is a deep-fried, spherical pastry rather like a doughnut. These are usually topped with powdered sugar and are especially popular...

read more

"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill