Studying for the School Bee/When Competing in the School Bee

Many of you may already have the Classroom Graded Lists. Unfortunately, I can't post the list, because it is copyrighted, but there is a free list with the words:(http://www.hexco.com/content/National_Spelling_Bee_2011_word%20list.pdf) The first few rounds at the school bee will usually have these words, then there will be off-list words. I stuggest studying the Consolidated Word List (CWL): http://www.spellingbee.com/consolidated-word-list. Some School Bees use Spell It!, which is also listed in the Hexco list above.

If you have not had your classroom bee yet, and your teacher is using words from the Classroom Graded Lists, you cannot ask for the origin, because it is not in the Classroom Pronouncer Guide. If your school uses the School Pronouncer Guide, which draws words from the Classroom Graded Lists and Webster's Third, you can ask for the origin. I do not have these lists, but the teachers and principal knew told us what we could ask.

You may know a specific root/combining form, but these questions are only entertained at the national level of the competition. A wrong answer can mislead the you. Study etymology patterns and their exceptions, and pay attention to the definitions of the words. For example, if you receive the word cytology, and you hear cell in the definition, you know the first four letters are c-y-t-o, and not s-i-t-o, c-i-t-o, s-y-t-o, etc.

The school spelling bee is not as nerve-racking as the National Spelling Bee. The school bee may be a little nerve-racking for spellers who have made it to nationals before or have been very close, because it is one wrong letter, and it is over. Although I am someone who is comfortable on stage, I only remember being nervous once, and I misspelled a word I knew (It was not my final Bee, although). You have to have confidence to stand up on the stage. Close your eyes if you need to, so you can concentrate on the word. Think of all the possible spellings of a word if you don't know it and choose the best one.

More Advice: Make sure the pronouncer pronounces the word correctly, and you pronounce it correctly back to him/her. Ask these questions, "Is the word pronounced correctly?" and "Am I saying this correctly?"

Good luck, and continue studying!

It's Time to Continue Studying (Even if Many Have Been Studying for a While)

Since my friend advanced to the school bee she has been studying with vigor. She wants to do very well in the entire contest, even if it is not the semifinals of the National Spelling Bee. I told her that making it to semifinals is probably the most difficult part of the Bee, because of the Round 1 test. She reads a lot in her spare time, and that is where a lot of words in the Round 1 test are drawn from (epilepsy, tutelage, electromagnetic, and others).

My sister is also studying for the Bee, and she wants to advanced to the championship finals of the Bee. This is a problem, because my friend and sister both go to the same school. The only way they can both make it to the national level is by being co-champions at the school and local level. My sister has four years, while my friend has three years, so they are still pretty young.

This brings me to my friend's sister who is only eight and in the third grade (she's too young, unfortunately). She can already spell words such as xanthosis, huapango, logorrhea, devoir, and a lot of other words. Her favorite word is kwashiorkor.

Continue studying spellers, and I hope to see you all next year at the National Spelling Bee!

Late Registration Deadline Ends Today

   If you want to make it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee make sure your school is signed up. Check to see if your school is enrolled for the 2012 Bee: https://secure.spellingbee.com/enrollment/check. If not, you may want to contact your school RIGHT NOW and sign your school up for the Scripps National Spelling Bee program If your school is enrolled it will be highlighted in green.

   This year will be very exciting, so good luck to you all!

Science-Related Terms/Science Fair

Here are some science-related terms:

phthisis
electromagnetic
apparatus
anthropometry
lumbago
clavicle
photosynthesis
adenosine
polysaccharide
fibromyalgia
resonance
decibel


The reason why I have not been posting a lot lately, because I have been very busy working on homework, but mostly my science fair project. I did my project on wood soundboard resonance. I had to find out which wood made the most resonant soundboard using what I had. I used a music box, a sound meter, and different types of wood. The category this went into was Physics (not my favorite, but very challenging). It seems as if I have gone from the Spelling Bee to the Science Fair.

I will try to post more often from now on!

Good luck spellers!

Deadline for Late Enrollment Coming Up!/Classroom and School Bees

Make sure your school is enrolled by December 16, because that is when the late enrollment closes. To see if your school is enrolled click on the link and type in your school's zipcode: https://secure.spellingbee.com/enrollment/check%20If If your school is not enrolled yet talk to your principal or one of your teachers (most likely your English teacher).

Many classroom and school bees have been conducted already. My friend just had her classroom bee yesterday, and she made it to the school level (in fourth and fifth grade she placed very high at the school level). This year she is determined to make it to regionals then perhaps nationals. She has 2012-2014 to try to win the Bee.

My sister's class bee will be in early January, then the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will compete about a week later. My sister wants to make it to nationals and advance to the championship finals. She has 2012-2015 to try to win.

As for my other friends from other schools, their classroom and school Bees are not going to be conducted until January, but I still wish them the best of luck!