🎯 Editing a Student’s Error Ceiling

In Spellings for Me, students typically work through a four-week learning cycle where they study 12 words per week, building up to a total of 48 words before being assessed. This model is based on extensive research and consistently delivers the best long-term results.

However, we understand that not all students learn at the same pace — which is why teachers can customise a student’s error ceiling to fit their individual needs.

🔧 What Is the Error Ceiling?

The error ceiling determines the number of errors a student is allowed to accumulate before they are moved to the assessment stage.

By default, this is set to 48, meaning students are assessed every four weeks on 48 words.
But you can change this to:

36 (3-week cycle)

24 (2-week cycle)

12 (1-week cycle)

👇 How Editing the Error Ceiling Gives You Flexibility

Adjusting the error ceiling allows you to:

Work in shorter cycles (e.g., 12 words per week for 3 weeks = 36-word cycle)

Assign fewer words per week to suit a student’s learning pace
(e.g., 6 words/week for 4 weeks = 24-word cycle)

This helps you find the sweet spot for each learner — especially for students in support settings.

⚠️ What We Recommend

We strongly advise sticking to 12 words per week over 4 weeks (48-word cycle).

This is the most researched and successful model we’ve found.

Avoid returning to the weekly Friday test model (12-word ceiling per week), which lacks long-term durability benefits.

Use custom error ceilings only when truly necessary — especially for students who require individualised pacing.

🔄 Can I Edit Error Ceilings in Bulk?

No — we do not support bulk editing of error ceilings for an entire class.

Why?

It’s not part of our recommended best practice.

Bulk edits often lead to unintended issues and confusion.

The system is designed around the 48-word learning model.

That said, if you really need to adjust error ceilings for your full class, you can do so manually.
It takes just 2–3 minutes to scroll through your class list and edit them individually.

✅ Summary

Default = 48 (12 words/week for 4 weeks) — best for long-term learning

Customise to 36, 24, or 12 for support or special cases

Use error ceiling edits sparingly and intentionally

No bulk editing, but manual changes are quick and easy

Need help finding the right fit for a student? Just reach out — we're here to help you make the best call.