About Us

The Need

At one point, Nancy Beattie, a middle school teacher for over 25 years, referred to the middle school experience as the ‘forgotten years.’ Every spelling curriculum search resulted in a dead end. This frustration brought up concerns.

Why wasn’t there more available for middle schoolers during these formative, inquisitive years? Nancy knew that time during the language arts period was tight, yet the need was there, and it was glaring. 

The Solution

Nancy decided to develop her own program—one that worked side by side with language arts and fit in with the middle school schedule. No longer would students memorize a group of words in isolation week after week. She would integrate spelling, writing, editing, and grammar.
 
Starting with 160 specially-selected words for each level, she created lessons that focused on clear spelling rules and patterns. Each lesson also reinforced good writing practices, such as punctuation and grammar, while allowing students to be creative. Her students loved it! She then opened it to the public.
 
After years of continued interest and momentum, Nancy became a vendor for her program, now called Building Better Spellers, with tens of thousands of students across the country benefiting from her work. 

Meet the Creator

Nancy Beattie was a middle school teacher for nearly three decades in southeastern Michigan. What she enjoyed most about middle school was watching young teens discover what we all eventually learn—who they wanted to become was linked closely with the choices they made.
 
After retiring in 2016, Nancy soon realized what she missed most was developing curricula. Her belief that reading is a lifeline to success led her to develop a new reading class for students needing additional help at her school. In addition, Nancy developed a spelling program—a forerunner to Building Better Spellers—which was used with great success in her classroom and attracted notoriety in local media. She was privileged to share her program at conferences in Michigan and South Carolina. As for today, Nancy says, “I am excited to still be able to contribute to the education of students and be a part of the classroom.”
 
Nancy received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She resides with her husband in the Detroit area.  She loves spending time with her two grown daughters and granddaughter, volunteering at her church, tutoring, and traveling.

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Contact Us

3960 Victoria Drive, Troy, MI  48083

(p)248.689.5317 | (f)248.528.1616
info@buildingbetterspellers.com