{"id":68374,"date":"2023-05-31T01:03:20","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T05:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=68374"},"modified":"2023-05-31T01:03:20","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T05:03:20","slug":"what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/","title":{"rendered":"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Whenever the\u00a0Scripps National Spelling Bee<\/a>\u00a0takes place, parents and children may wonder: What does it take to become a champion? Is it worth the effort?<\/p>\n

But to the extent possible, competitive spellers, including several\u00a0previous Scripps National Spelling Bee winners<\/a>, have purchased special\u00a0word lists<\/a>\u00a0to gain a competitive edge. These word lists, which may come in the form of computer software programs or printed booklets, are not easy for everyone to afford. The 2021 champion, Zaila Avant-garde, said her family\u00a0\u201chad a little bit of trouble<\/a>\u201d coming up with the money to purchase a popular online resource, which at the time cost $600.<\/p>\n

Beyond purchasing supplemental materials, hiring a coach has become\u00a0the new normal<\/a>. These coaches, who are often former spelling bee contestants or teachers,\u00a0charge between $50 to over $200 an hour<\/a>. Some coaches work with students one on one\u00a0on a weekly basis all year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. Invest in study materials<\/h2>\n

Rather than just open the dictionary, contestants study word lists, including the 4,000 words in the\u00a0free official study guide provided<\/a>\u00a0by Scripps. Some parents create their own word lists based on observing past bees.<\/p>\n

Whenever the\u00a0Scripps National Spelling Bee<\/a>\u00a0takes place, parents and children may wonder: What does it take to become a champion? Is it worth the effort?<\/p>\n

As just about any former Scripps champion could tell you, the contest \u2013 which is set to take place May 31 to June 1 this year \u2013 involves\u00a0a fair amount of luck<\/a>, so preparation does not guarantee a victory. There\u2019s simply no way a contestant can know which word awaits them from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. But if young people\u00a0find enjoyment<\/a>\u00a0in learning how to spell words, as well as understanding the origins and meanings of these words, then they will feel proud of what they accomplished.<\/p>\n

Still, as I state in my book \u201cHyper Education: Why Good Schools, Good Grades, and Good Behavior Are Not Enough<\/a>,\u201d there are certain practices that can greatly boost a child\u2019s chances of becoming an excellent speller. I observed these practices among families who assist their children in competitive academics.<\/p>\n

1. Invest in study materials<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Rather than just open the dictionary, contestants study word lists, including the 4,000 words in the\u00a0free official study guide provided<\/a>\u00a0by Scripps. Some parents create their own word lists based on observing past bees.<\/p>\n

Students must commit to learning the word lists primarily through studying by themselves. Research shows that\u00a0deliberate practice<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 that is, studying and memorizing words while alone \u2013 is a better predictor of performance in the national spelling bee than being quizzed by others or reading for pleasure. All of the students I met recounted studying in their rooms or at libraries or school. The daily ritual of studying also helps youths build up the stamina of spelling needed on the competitive stage.<\/p>\n

3. Make studying a family affair<\/strong><\/h4>\n

While studying alone is essential for adequate preparation, families should be prepared to accompany their contestant on this journey. I observed one mother and daughter who studied word lists at the kitchen table for three hours a day \u2013 every day \u2013 as they prepared for the competition.<\/p>\n

Other families would make a game out of studying, with homemade placards and grown-ups playing the role of announcer. Another family would frequently watch \u201cAkeelah and the Bee<\/a>\u201d \u2013 a movie about a young girl from Los Angeles who tries to make it to the national spelling bee \u2013 as a way to keep their daughter motivated.<\/p>\n

A former champion shared that when her family went to an Italian restaurant, her father would use it as an occasion to practice words of Italian origin, such as chardonnay, rigatoni and spaghetti. The daughter would write the words on the paper menu, which she then brought home as a study guide and kept for years as memorabilia. All of these activities help the child know that they are not in this alone.<\/p>\n

4. Form study groups<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Another way young spellers make connections in this process is through online study groups. This can be done whether they are classmates in the same school or contestants living across the country. Youths can quiz one another, share strategies or make up study games. Having a sense of connection can deepen their\u00a0passion for learning<\/a>\u00a0and further their motivation to stick with it.<\/p>\n

The same camaraderie that children form in these study groups can be seen on stage during the Scripps National Spelling Bee itself. It\u2019s not uncommon for contestants to give each other high-fives after spelling a word correctly. There is less of an \u201cus versus them\u201d mentality that characterizes other competitive sports because students compete not against one another but against the dictionary.<\/p>\n

5. Read a lot<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When I investigated why students got interested in spelling, just about all of them mentioned their love of reading. They also listed reading as their favorite hobby. Reading cannot substitute for deliberate practice, but it forms the foundation for why students fell in love with words in the first place.<\/p>\n

Students benefit when they learn to become active readers. This involves looking up words they do not understand, paying attention to the use of words in sentences and, of course, focusing on their spelling.<\/p>\n

With all this being said, it\u2019s important for families \u2013 and the contestants themselves \u2013 to pay attention to how they are feeling about the preparation. What parts do they enjoy the most? Is spelling practice taking up all their time to socialize or enjoy other interests and hobbies?<\/p>\n

Burning out on a single competition isn\u2019t worth it if it undermines a student\u2019s passion for learning. Families should pay attention to when it\u2019s time to tone down the studying and relax or let other interests rise to the surface. Parents of champions \u2013 and even champions themselves \u2013 routinely told me that their biggest benefit from the spelling bee was a heightened sense of responsibility and confidence. No trophy can match that.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Pawan Dhingra is Associate Provost and Professor of American Studies at Amherst College<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whenever the\u00a0Scripps National Spelling Bee\u00a0takes place, parents and children may wonder: What does it take to become a champion? Is it worth the effort? But to the extent possible, competitive spellers, including several\u00a0previous Scripps National Spelling Bee winners, have purchased special\u00a0word lists\u00a0to gain a competitive edge. These word lists, which may come in the form […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[434456],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-68374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-spelling-bee-championships"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat it takes to become a spelling bee champ - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Whenever the\u00a0Scripps National Spelling Bee\u00a0takes place, parents and children may wonder: What does it take to become a champion? Is it worth the effort? But to the extent possible, competitive spellers, including several\u00a0previous Scripps National Spelling Bee winners, have purchased special\u00a0word lists\u00a0to gain a competitive edge. These word lists, which may come in the form […]\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-31T05:03:20+00:00\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/spellingeechamp.jpeg\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kevin\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kevin\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kevin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\"},\"headline\":\"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-31T05:03:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1006,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/spellingeechamp.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"spelling bee championships\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Education\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/\",\"name\":\"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ - World leading higher education information and services\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/spellingeechamp.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-31T05:03:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/spellingeechamp.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/spellingeechamp.jpeg\",\"width\":680,\"height\":383},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/\",\"name\":\"World leading higher education information and services\",\"description\":\"Global Higher Education Jobs, University jobs, Lecturer & tenure jobs.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\",\"name\":\"Kevin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g8ba4c352a279c450aa9435d770c1ebf4\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kevin\"},\"description\":\"Kevin is founder of the world.edu project. The past 28 years have been involved in publishing to the education sector in print and the internet. Kevin has a degree in Education and has a many years experience in developing companies and projects.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/author\\\/kevin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ - World leading higher education information and services","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ - World leading higher education information and services","og_description":"Whenever the\u00a0Scripps National Spelling Bee\u00a0takes place, parents and children may wonder: What does it take to become a champion? Is it worth the effort? But to the extent possible, competitive spellers, including several\u00a0previous Scripps National Spelling Bee winners, have purchased special\u00a0word lists\u00a0to gain a competitive edge. These word lists, which may come in the form […]","og_url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/","og_site_name":"World leading higher education information and services","article_published_time":"2023-05-31T05:03:20+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/spellingeechamp.jpeg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Kevin","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kevin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/"},"author":{"name":"Kevin","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee"},"headline":"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ","datePublished":"2023-05-31T05:03:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/"},"wordCount":1006,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/spellingeechamp.jpeg","keywords":["spelling bee championships"],"articleSection":["Education"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/","name":"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ - World leading higher education information and services","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/spellingeechamp.jpeg","datePublished":"2023-05-31T05:03:20+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/spellingeechamp.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/spellingeechamp.jpeg","width":680,"height":383},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-it-takes-to-become-a-spelling-bee-champ\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/world.edu\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What it takes to become a spelling bee champ"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/","name":"World leading higher education information and services","description":"Global Higher Education Jobs, University jobs, Lecturer & tenure jobs.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee","name":"Kevin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g8ba4c352a279c450aa9435d770c1ebf4","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kevin"},"description":"Kevin is founder of the world.edu project. The past 28 years have been involved in publishing to the education sector in print and the internet. Kevin has a degree in Education and has a many years experience in developing companies and projects.","sameAs":["https:\/\/world.edu"],"url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/author\/kevin\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68376,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68374\/revisions\/68376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68374"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=68374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}