<p>So… do you think any of these parents are helicopter parents? And how many will end up finding CC?</p>
<p>My kids always did well in spelling bees at their school level (four wins between two girls), but had no desire to ever study for the next level. I don’t think I could have taken this stress if they had and did this well.</p>
<p>don’t know, but I bet those parents spell a lot better than I do…</p>
<p>heck, the kids spell better than I do, and I was a journalism major!</p>
<p>It’s fascinating to watch. Sid is from a school in my area. A local station televised the local spelling bee and we have been following him (I do have a life!!) He came in 2nd last year and we wish him the best this year!!!</p>
<p>The school he attends is a high ranked school and I have no doubt that his parents will find their way here!</p>
<p>Some must be, I bet a lot, but others aren’t. My best friend was in the National Bee (came in fifth! highest ever from our state, pride of our town) back when we were in middle school, and her mom had nothing to do with it. She helped her study if she wanted it of course, but never pushed her into it, never made her study, never even suggested she pursue it. It was all my friends idea and all her hard work. </p>
<p>Some of these kids are so adorable!</p>
<p>I know this word!!!</p>
<p>Has anyone here read or heard of the Asterix series? I’ve read every comic in it, and menhir appears thousands of times. That was the easiest word of the night (for me at least). Becquerel wasn’t particularly difficult either.</p>
<p>Other words though…</p>
<p>tagliatelle…</p>
<p>ummmm pasta.</p>
<p>only word I got right all night</p>
<p>Anasazi was our gimme. Dh teaches a unit on them every year.</p>
<p>The winner looked coach to within an inch of her life. I felt bad for her, even after she won.</p>
<p>If you’re wondering about helicopter parents and the Spelling Bell, rent “Spellbound” - it’s a fabulous documentary about 6 or so kids in the nationals 8 or 9 years ago. </p>
<p>I LOVE watching the Bee!</p>
<p>Second “Spellbound.” We loved that one.</p>
<p>When dinosaurs roamed the earth, I won my school spelling bee twice, and my best showing after that was coming in 3rd in the city/county bee. My dad was my “coach”–he bought the biggest dictionary I’ve ever seen and used to ask me random words out of it–including at night when I was brushing my teeth! For several years after 8th grade (the last year you can participate) he and I used to attend the regional spelling bee–the next rung up from city/county–and people would look at us because we were the only people in the audience who weren’t related to the contestants. My mother was an excellent speller too, but this was our special “thing”–haven’t thought about this in a while.</p>
<p>A lot of words with French origin this year.</p>
<p>^^French and Greek words are always popular for spelling bees because their spelling rules and conventions are often quite different from good ol’ Anglo-Saxon.</p>
<p>The words that seemed “easy” to me this year were becquerel and xebec. Readers of Patrick O’Brian ("Master and Commander’) will all know xebec, since Jack captures a xebec frigate in the very first book.</p>
<p>It’s a fictional story, but “Akeelah and the Bee” is a sweet movie.</p>