Scripps National Spelling Bee

Please spell Literary-
Literary.  L-I-T-E-R-A-R-Y.  Literary.

Then, tune in from May 28th to May 30th to watch the best young spellers compete for the title of 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion. This year 281 participants will battle with words to earn the $30,000 cash prize (and lots of reference materials) and prove that they are the top wordsmith in the world.

Students have been practicing, winning local spelling bees, and gaining sponsors to take them to Maryland for this year’s event. The spellers range in age from eight to fourteen years, and come from diverse background across America, with some coming from as far away as Japan, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Jamaica, China, and Ghana. The event will be played live all three days on ESPN3.

For those of you who love to spell, but aren’t going to Maryland to watch the event this year, there are lots of other ways you can participate with your family and friends at home.  The Scripps site has a list of ten great ideas for students and parents to help you “along your way to spelling superstardom.”

1-For inspiration, watch the documentary Spellbound on family movie night.

2-Keep a “great words” journal for every new and interesting word that you find.

3-Designate a spelling wall in your home. Post new words to the wall each day.

4-For family game night, conduct an impromptu themed spelling bee. Use a newspaper for a current events bee or a cookbook for a cuisine bee.

For more great ideas from the list, details about the Spelling Bee, information on the contestants, and a competition schedule, go to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website.

Now, try and spell some of the contestants favorite words…
conquistador, flibbertigibbet,  humuhumunukunukuapuaa, physiognomy,
weissnichtwo, and gobbledegook.