A company is helping to combat falling literacy levels with an innovative online service that has gone trans-Atlantic.

Nearly 350 schools in the UK have signed up to SpellAnywhere, an online programme which allows children to practice their weekly spellings away from the classroom.

And the concept is also proving popular abroad, with 150 schools in the United States adopting SpellAnywhere.

The uptake comes after last year’s SATs results showed that one in five 11-year-olds often struggle to spell words with more than one syllable, prompting a Government campaign to raise reading standards.

Figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families confirmed that more than 115,000 pupils failed Level 4 English in SATs last year – the standard expected of the age group.

School website provider WebAnywhere, the company behind SpellAnywhere, was founded in 2003 by Sean Gilligan from an office in his parents’ bedroom. It now operates out of the Aire Valley Business Centre in Keighley and employs 50 people.

He said: “Everyone recognises that the literacy levels among children in this country need to improve and if we can play even a small role in that we will be delighted.

“SpellAnywhere promotes independent learning and aims to improve pupils’ motivation and self-esteem, but, most importantly, it makes learning spellings fun.”

Using a simple online interface, the word is spoken aloud and shown on screen before pupils attempt to spell it using a ‘read, memorise and write’ technique.

The software is easy for pupils and teachers to use.

As well as assisting pupils with English literacy, WebAnywhere has created similar programmes to aid schoolchildren in learning new languages.

WelshAnywhere, FrenchAny-where, GermanAnywhere and SpanishAnywhere allow pupils to practice vocabulary, spelling and translation skills online, with tests from English to the foreign language and vice versa available.