Download Basic Information for a SPELLING BEE Basic Rules

Basic Information for a SPELLING BEE
Basic Rules
Spelling bees are oral competitions conducted over rounds during which a pronouncer asks
the contestant to spell a specific word during a set time limit. Judges decide if a speller has
spelled the word correctly. During the final round if only one speller correctly spells a word
a new one word round begins. If that speller spells the word in this round correctly he or she
is declared the champion.
Pronouncer & Judges
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The judges in all competitions not only uphold the competition rules and determine if the
speller has spelled the word correctly
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The pronouncer has to pronounce words according to diacritical markings in the dictionary.
In the case of homonyms the pronouncer must also make clear which word is to be spelled.
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Finally, the pronouncer can offer information on the word without a spellers request if he
believes it is helpful and the information appears on the spelling bee word list or in the
dictionary.
The Speller
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During a spelling bee the speller must try to utter each word distinctly and with a volume
level appropriate for the judges to hear the word. The speller must also face the judges
allowing them to see lip movement in order to decide if the word has been spelled correctly.
The speller must attempt to pronounce the word before and after spelling it. The speller can
also request information about the word to be spelled from the pronouncer including to
repeat the word, ask for a definition, language of origin and any alternate pronunciation.
Misunderstood Words

The speller himself is held responsible any misunderstanding of a word with the
following exceptions. The pronouncer must give the correct pronunciation of a word.
The pronouncer must provide correct information regarding definition and the part
of speech. The speller is also not held accountable if he spells a homonym if the
pronouncer fails to distinguish the two words.
Pronunciation Repetition

During a spelling bee the speller traditionally repeats the word before and after he
has spelled. Spellers are encouraged to do this in order to make sure they heard the
word correctly.
Stopping

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A speller is allowed to stop at any point during the spelling process and begin again
from the beginning. However, he is not allowed to change any letters that he began
with before the point at which he stopped. If every letter in the process is not the
same as it was before he stopped, the speller can be eliminated.
Elimination

The speller is eliminated if he misspells a word after a SET amount of tries, again this is a
classroom decision. All the spellers that are eliminated within the same round will be
considered tied for that placing in the final results. The winner of the Bee is usually
determined when two students are left--he wins by correctly spelling the opponent's
misspelled word and correctly spelling another word.
Classroom Spelling Bees

A classroom spelling bee is usually conducted by the teacher, and the students in the
classroom compete against each other to see who can spell the most words correctly.
Classroom spelling bees are based on words that the students are given to study according
to their grade level.

The entire class may line up (in no particular order or they may draw numbers or stand in
alphabetical order) while a teacher or proctor calls out a word for each student to spell that
they read from a list; proctors also should have a dictionary or reference list so that a
student may ask the word's country of origin, definition or use in a sentence.
Grade-Wide Spelling Bees

A grade-wide spelling bee is a spelling competition between the top spellers of each grade.
For instance, one teacher's fifth-grade classroom might have five exceptional spellers, while
another teacher's fifth-grade class might also have five top spellers. In this case, the school
hosts a spelling bee in which students from the grade's different classrooms compete against
one another to determine the best speller of the entire grade
School Spelling Bees

The student who wins in an individual classroom or a grade-level Spelling Bee typically will
go on to compete against other students in the school a few days later. The school may hold
this competition in an auditorium or other large common area and may invite student
families as guests. The rules tend to work the same way as they would in the class Bee. The
competition may result in a winner and an alternate, the runner up, to compete in a countyor district-level Spelling Bee.
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Needed Items
 Official Dictionary Or Alternative Word lists
When it comes to spelling bees nothing is more important than making sure the spelling is
proper. The official source to determine the proper spelling in a spelling bee is Webster's
Third New International Dictionary. All words that are used in a spelling bee can be found
in this edition of the Webster's Dictionary.

You can use Dolch’s list of sight words - http://bogglesworldesl.com/dolch/lists.htm
has some list and games for building sight word recognition

Fry’s List of 1000 words - http://www.uniqueteachingresources.com/Fry-1000-InstantWords.html

Your Spelling program will also have words that you may want to use.
 Timer
Each speller has exactly two minutes and 30 seconds to provide the proper spelling. This
official time begins from the second that the announcer says the word that is to be spelled.
This time is set by you the classroom teacher and it will depend on the amount of time you
have set aside each day to do the spelling words.
 Pronounciator or someone who will be reading the words out
The pronouncer must give the correct pronunciation of a word. The pronouncer must
provide correct information regarding definition and the part of speech. This can be a
student from another classroom.
 Score Keeper
The students in the class should be listed on a scoring sheet. That will record the word(s) that
they are spelling and the number of chance that they are given.
 Judges
There should be a judge appointed so that they can have the final say in the correct spelling of
words. This can be someone from a different class called in at the time of your spelling bee
rounds.
 Prizes
With classroom sizes there can be a division as to how many are able to complete one round of
words within the time frame given. Looking at possibly having an elimination process then top
ten or whatever would have another competition and those would be the ones that one can start
looking at awarding the prizes to or you can structure your prizes so that even those eliminated
in the first few rounds are given a prize just for trying.
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Instructions For Students and Parents
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2 Write out a list of words randomly from each section that you want to work on with your
Look through the list of words in the spelling bee booklet. Determine how many pages
there are in the booklet and then break it up into different sections so that you can work on
one a day.
child. Have him take some time to read through the words.
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3 Break long words into several syllables. This will make it easier to remember and
recognize than trying to remember it as one big word.
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4 Explain the meaning of the word to your child. Understanding the meaning of the word
usually helps with the memory process because she will be able to better relate to it.
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5 Allow him to study for a while and test him on the words.
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6 Turn the word list into a game. Start off with a word which she understands. Give her
two guesses at spelling the word. If she spells it right, she gains a point; if not, she loses a
point. At the end of the game, reward her according to the number of points she earned.
Repeat with more difficult words and continue with the game until she is ready to take a
break.
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7 Keep the atmosphere relaxed and fun while learning. If you appear tense and stressed,
you will put too much pressure on your child and she will not perform as well.
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8 Make sure he has a good night's sleep and a nice breakfast before the spelling bee
challenge.
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WEB Sites to visit for more information

420+ Sight Word Pictures
Images make sight words easy for visual learners. Get the cards now! www.child-1st.com

Spelling Learning Games - Educational Spelling Kids Games.
Become A Member and Play Today.
www.turtlediary.com/
Math Games
Science Games
Puzzle Games Preschool Games

Kids Spelling Games | ask.com
Search for Kids Spelling Games Look Up Fast Results now!
www.ask.com/Kids+Spelling+Games

Free Spelling Game Online
Play Tumble Bees & 100+ free games. Win big prizes at Pogo.com!
www.pogo.com/Spelling-Game
Word Whomp Crossword Cove
Bookworm
Crosswords
www.playfin.net/

How to Teach Spelling Games
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games are an effective way to get students to ...
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How to Create Online Spelling Games
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use spelling lists provided with games, and choose ...
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How to Play the Ghost Spelling Game
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How to Make Up Your Own Spelling Games
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anywhere, and require no special materials.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4894826_make-up-own-spelling-games.html

How to Play Easy Spelling Games With a Child
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Easy spelling games are not only a way to reinforce ...
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
How to Use Computer Games to Learn Spelling
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areas of education, such as reading and ...
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
How to Play Spelling Bee Games
How to Play Spelling Bee Games. Children can find it difficult to remember how to spell words. Now you have the
opportunity to make remembering easier for ...
http://www.ehow.com/how_2154475_play-spelling-bee-games.html

How to Teach Spelling With Kids' Games
How to Teach Spelling With Kids' Games. Give your kids an upper hand when it comes to spelling and reading by
teaching new skills and reinforcing what ...
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