Spelling Bee Tips

Practice With a Partner o If possible, prepare for a spelling bee with a partner. Practicing with another person will keep you motivated and you can quiz each other to practice spelling words aloud. Host Practice Spelling Bees o If you are preparing with a group of students, have practice spelling bees to add some fun to your studying and give you experience in the real spelling bee format. Take turns moderating, or ask a parent, teacher, older sibling or friend to be the moderator. Study Frequently Misspelled Words o The website Spell it! has a list of frequently misspelled words, like appearance, embarrass, foreign, maintenance, receipt and vacuum. Learn these words; even if you don't encounter them on a spelling bee, they'll help you write more effectively. Study Small Chunks Each Day o Break up your spelling bee studying into small chunks, and study every day. Look at a small group of new words each day, and review the words you've studied in the past few days. Starting early and studying small amounts at a time is a far more effective and enjoyable method than cramming for hours on weekends. Learn Word Meanings o Learn the meanings of the words you're memorizing. This not only boosts your vocabulary, which will improve your speaking, reading and writing skills for the rest of your life, but will also help you remember the words. If possible, use each word in a sentence, or imagine a picture for each word. Write down fun or interesting words in a special notebook or journal.