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Preparing for a Spelling Bee

Ways to Help Tweens Do Their Best

Nov 17, 2007 Denise Oliveri

A spelling bee can be exciting and a very stressful situation for your tween. Here are ways to help them prepare for this event.

When your child comes home to announce the upcoming spelling bee at school, you want to do all that you can to help with preparation. For some kids spelling comes quite naturally, but for others, preparing for the spelling bee is a must. There are several strategies that are used for a spelling bee, but the best thing you can do to prepare is to begin well in advance. The following are all ways that you can help your child prepare for a spelling bee.

Start Preparing for the Spelling Bee Early

Two or three weeks is simply not enough time for most students to adequately prepare for a spelling bee. In large national spelling bees, kids often spend all year going over words again and again. It is time and practice that makes one a better speller. If you know that your child enjoys spelling bees, then have your child begin as soon as possible. The summer is a great time to prepare.

Play Spelling Games

Some kids do well with memorization, but spelling games are much more fun and interactive. There are many different types of word games that you can play with your child such as Scrabble, Boggle, Upwords an even crosswords puzzles. These are all perfect for preparing for spelling bees.

Read...A Lot

Reading makes good spellers. When a child enjoys reading, he or she will be exposed to new words everyday. Chapter books, encyclopedias, and even the dictionary are perfect examples of reading to gain new vocabulary and spelling skills. Encourage your speller to become a reader, too.

Learn Greek and Latin Roots

Another way to prepare for spelling bees is to learn the meanings of Greek and Latin roots. Your child might be surprised at how many words are derived from these root words. When he or she learns the proper spelling and meaning of them, they can unlock a whole world of words. In fact, most successful spelling bee winners have a firm grasp on these concepts and it truly does make spelling unknown words much easier.

Keep a List of Commonly Misspelled Words

When you go over spelling bee words with your child, keep a list or make flash cards of commonly misspelled words. Look at those words and see if there is pattern. Is your child missing “i” before “e” words? Go over these words and the pronunciations and meanings often.

There are many ways to prepare for a spelling bee. The best way to find success is to study early and follow some of these tips.

Find related Parenting Tweens articles here at Suite101.

The copyright of the article Preparing for a Spelling Bee in Parenting Tweens is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish Preparing for a Spelling Bee in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.