Spelling accommodations: spell-check, word banks and 14 more for the IEP

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Spelling accommodations let a student show content knowledge without misspellings costing the grade. The most used are spell-check, word prediction, personal word banks and not scoring spelling in content classes. Spelling test changes, such as fewer words, are usually modifications. Write each with what, when, how much and who provides it, and keep teaching spelling alongside.

Spelling is one of the few areas where the same support is an accommodation in one class and a modification in the next. Spell-check on a science lab report is an accommodation: the grade is about science. Spell-check on the weekly spelling test removes the skill being tested. Every item below is marked with that in mind.

These 16 examples are worded the way they should read in the IEP. For accommodations in general, start with the pillar on IEP accommodations. For writing supports beyond spelling, such as speech-to-text and graphic organizers, see writing accommodations for the IEP.

Decide what the grade is measuring

Before you pick a spelling accommodation, ask one question for each class: is spelling part of the standard this grade reports on?

Class or task	Is spelling graded here?	What that means for accommodations
Science, social studies, math written responses	Usually no	Remove spelling from scoring; tools like spell-check are accommodations
ELA writing (essays, responses)	Partly, under conventions	Tools are accommodations; the conventions row of the rubric may need a team decision
Spelling test or word study check	Yes, it is the whole standard	Tools that supply spellings are modifications; changes to how the test is given can be accommodations
State writing tests	Depends on the state rubric	Follow the state's allowed list; many limit spell-check and word prediction

That table answers most disagreements before they start. A spelling accommodation is fair wherever spelling is not the skill being measured.

Tools: spell-check, word prediction and word banks

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
1. The student may use spell-check on typed work in all classes, except on spelling tests and word study checks.	Accommodation	None outside spelling tests. Check the state manual for state writing tests
2. The student may use word prediction software on typed work in all classes, except on spelling tests.	Accommodation	None outside spelling tests; often restricted on state tests
3. A personal word bank of 20 to 30 words the student often misspells is kept in the writing folder. The special education teacher updates it monthly from work samples.	Accommodation	None on assignments; not used on spelling tests
4. A unit vocabulary list with correct spellings is posted or given to all students during content-area writing.	Accommodation	None
5. The student may use a handheld electronic speller or an approved dictionary app during writing in all classes.	Accommodation	None outside spelling tests

Spell-check helps less than people expect when the student's attempt is far from the target. If the student writes "sukses" for "success," a spell-checker will usually suggest the right word. If the student writes "sksz," the tool offers nothing useful. Look at the student's misspellings before writing item 1 into the IEP. If more than half of them are unrecognizable, word prediction (item 2) usually works better.

Scoring accommodations

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
6. Spelling errors are not counted in grades for science, social studies and math, except for unit vocabulary words that are posted.	Accommodation	None; the content grade reflects content
7. On ELA writing rubrics, spelling is scored only on words from the student's current spelling level and word bank.	Modification	Changes the conventions criterion. Note it as your district requires
8. Teachers mark misspellings in a separate color and do not take points off, so the student can see patterns without losing credit.	Accommodation in content classes	None outside ELA conventions

Item 7 is a modification because it changes the standard on one rubric row. That can be the right call. Just label it honestly, so the report card and the parents get an accurate picture. The grading students with IEPs guide covers how districts note modified grades.

Spelling test accommodations

These change how a spelling test is given, not how many words or which words. They stay accommodations.

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
9. Spelling tests are given in a small group or one to one, with each word said, used in a sentence and repeated up to 2 times.	Accommodation	None
10. The student may say each letter aloud while an adult writes it, or type the words, in place of handwriting the test.	Accommodation	None, if the adult writes only the letters the student names
11. The student receives wide-spaced lines and numbered boxes on the spelling test paper.	Accommodation	None
12. Partial credit is given for correct letter sequences on spelling tests, reported next to the whole-word score.	Accommodation for reporting	The whole-word score is unchanged; the second score shows growth

Item 12 is worth a closer look. A student who moves from "bt" to "bot" to "boat" is learning, but whole-word scoring shows 0, 0, 1. Correct letter sequences show the progress the whole-word score hides, and that matters for a student who is easy to discourage.

Spelling test modifications

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
13. The student is tested on 10 of the 20 weekly words, chosen by the special education teacher from the student's spelling pattern.	Modification	Changes the expectation. Note it on the report card as your district requires
14. The student studies and is tested on a different word list matched to their phonics level, in place of the class list.	Modification	Changes the content. Grade against the student's own list and say so
15. Weekly spelling tests are replaced with a monthly dictation of 5 sentences using the target pattern.	Modification	Changes how the standard is assessed; agree on it as a team

Item 14 is often the most useful modification for a student with dyslexia. Grade-level lists ask a student who cannot yet spell short vowel words to memorize words like "decision." A list matched to the phonics pattern the student is learning builds real skill. Pair it with a spelling goal. See accommodations for dyslexia for the wider set of supports.

Self-advocacy item

Accommodation as written in the IEP	Type	Effect on grading and testing
16. The student may ask any adult how to spell up to 3 words per writing assignment without penalty, in all classes.	Accommodation	None outside spelling tests

This one teaches the student to ask for help with a clear limit. Older students can move from asking an adult to using a tool on their own.

Worked example: a 3rd grader on a grade-level list

Illustrative numbers. A 3rd grader scores 4 of 20 words correct on the weekly test (20%) for 6 weeks in a row. His correct letter sequences on those tests average 38 of 104 possible (37%). In science, his lab responses are graded down for spelling and average 61%.

The team adds items 1, 6 and 12, and modifies the weekly test to a list matched to his phonics level (item 14). After 6 weeks, his science responses average 82%, because the grade now measures science. On his matched list he scores 14 of 20 words correct. His correct letter sequences on a grade-level probe given every 2 weeks rise from 37% to 48%.

That last number is the honest progress measure, because it uses the grade-level list without the modification. Track it on the accuracy data sheet. Spelling measures are explained on the percent accuracy measurement page.

Pair accommodations with a spelling goal

Accommodations stop spelling from hiding what the student knows. They do not teach spelling. If the student is more than a year behind, the IEP also needs a goal and instruction. Templates are in the spelling goals library, and the guide to spelling IEP goals has worked examples by pattern.

The IEP lists the supplementary aids, services and program modifications the student needs, along with testing accommodations.^[1] State test rules decide whether spell-check and word prediction are allowed on state writing tests,^[2] and those rules change. Check the current manual every year.

Mistakes to avoid

Weak: "Spelling not graded." Better: name the classes, the exceptions (spelling tests, posted vocabulary) and who tells the teachers.
Weak: "Shortened spelling list." Better: say how many words, who chooses them, and label it a modification.
Weak: "Spell-check" with no device named. Better: say on which device and whether it is available on tests.

Frequently asked questions

Is spell-check an accommodation or a modification?

Spell-check is an accommodation on any task where spelling is not the skill being graded, such as a science report. On a spelling test it supplies the answer, so using it there would be a modification.

Can a student with an IEP have a shorter spelling list?

Yes, if the IEP team decides it, but a shorter or different list is a modification because it changes what the student is expected to learn. Districts may note modified grades on report cards.

Is spell-check allowed on state writing tests?

It depends on the state. Some allow spell-check or word prediction as an accommodation for students whose IEP lists it, and some do not. Check the current state testing manual.

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Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.160: Participation in assessments, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.