All About Spelling vs Spelling Power

The sharpest difference is format: All About Spelling is Hands-on, Spelling Power is Textbook. Four more separate them, so this is not a close pairing.

At a glance

All About Spelling

Grades 1-12

Owners report it suits

Struggling learnersHands-on learnersDyslexia2e

Spelling Power

Grades 1-12

Owners report it suits

Independent workersMulti-age families
Skip to who fits

Where they differ

Attribute All About Spelling Spelling Power
Rigor
?

How demanding the material is versus grade level. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1gentle, below grade
  2. 2relaxed
  3. 3on grade
  4. 4demanding
  5. 5advanced
Read the rigor guide
Parent involvement
?

How much the parent is present and teaching. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1hands-off
  2. 2light
  3. 3shared
  4. 4leading
  5. 5parent-taught
Read the parent involvement guide
Prep load
?

How much the parent prepares before a lesson. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1open-and-go
  2. 2minimal
  3. 3moderate
  4. 4involved
  5. 5heavy
Read the prep load guide
Independence
?

How much the child can do alone. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1adult-led
  2. 2guided
  3. 3semi-independent
  4. 4mostly independent
  5. 5fully independent
Read the independence guide
Format Hands-on Textbook
Best for Tags show where owners consistently report a good fit. They are not exclusions. Struggling learnersHands-on learnersDyslexia2e Independent workersMulti-age families
Method TraditionalClassicalEclecticOrton-Gillingham TraditionalTraditional word lists
Grades 1-12 1-12

Solid tags are unique to that program. Muted tags are carried by both.

Where they match

How each one plays by grade

All About Spelling

Grades 1-12

Everyone starts at Level 1 for the foundational rules, even older kids, then moves at their own speed. Level 7 carries through high school with Latin and Greek roots.

Spelling Power

Grades 1-12

Retake the placement test each year to reset each child's level. Grades 1-2 stick to oral games, and the written ten-step method comes in from about age 8 up through adult.

Cost

Cost item All About Spelling Spelling Power
Price $49.95-69.95/level plus one-time tiles $64.95 base (one book, all ages)
Consumable Partial No
Per child / year ~$65-90 first year, ~$50-70/level after Very low, one ~$65 book serves the whole family for years

Where to buy

What parents report

All About Spelling

Consistently praised

  • Open and go scripting any parent can teach
  • Tiles make spelling rules click for hands-on kids
  • Move on when mastered pacing
  • Reusable across siblings
  • Strong for dyslexic and struggling spellers

Reported as challenges

  • Teacher-intensive every single day
  • Pricey for one subject with an only child
  • Tiles and flashcards take storage and table space
  • Doing every review activity balloons the lesson

Spelling Power

Consistently praised

  • One book covers every kid from first grade to high school
  • Kids only study the words they miss
  • Fifteen minutes a day and you are done
  • Buy it once and reuse it for years
  • Great value for a big family

Reported as challenges

  • You read a thick manual before you can start
  • Gets mom-intensive with three or more kids at different levels
  • Repeated words get boring for strong spellers
  • Pricey upfront if it is just one child

Who All About Spelling fits

A structured, multisensory spelling spine for families who'll sit down and teach it daily, and it's the common pick for a struggling or dyslexic speller. Parents who want a hands-off or independent workbook a child does alone should go a different direction.

Read the full All About Spelling entry Check price All About Learning Press

Who Spelling Power fits

One affordable book that covers every child and grade, for a parent who doesn't mind giving a quick daily test. Look elsewhere if you're juggling several kids at different levels, want an open-and-go workbook a child does alone, or need a scripted Orton-Gillingham program for dyslexia.

Read the full Spelling Power entry Check price Castlemoyle Books

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Still deciding?

Descriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources together with each publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time. Both entries last reviewed July 2026.