Spelling Bees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

My kid practiced the words and made it through the first round. I used it as an opportunity to work on spelling since the school doesn't teach it. The test was multiple choice which made it easier. I agree with the statements above 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So this has many rounds?

Unless your kid is very serious about it, winning the school bee just means losing the county bee. At the county bee, they will be up against kids who view spelling bee as their primary extra curricular activity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Name one reason you want your kids participate in this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Name one reason you want your kids participate in this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

My kid practiced the words and made it through the first round. I used it as an opportunity to work on spelling since the school doesn't teach it. The test was multiple choice which made it easier. I agree with the statements above 100%.

Really? I substitute in elementary grades and they seem to spend a lot of time on spelling and phonics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this has many rounds?

Unless your kid is very serious about it, winning the school bee just means losing the county bee. At the county bee, they will be up against kids who view spelling bee as their primary extra curricular activity

Okay... So first round to select kids to participate in the school bee, then do school bee to select kids to do the county bee, which is normally a failure for casual players?

[Anonymous]

Spelling bees in the schools without spelling homework or spelling test is funny

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

My kid practiced the words and made it through the first round. I used it as an opportunity to work on spelling since the school doesn't teach it. The test was multiple choice which made it easier. I agree with the statements above 100%.

Really? I substitute in elementary grades and they seem to spend a lot of time on spelling and phonics.

I've never seen a spelling test come home for any of my kids. Maybe it depends on the school but that is good that yours appears to be doing spelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

My kid practiced the words and made it through the first round. I used it as an opportunity to work on spelling since the school doesn't teach it. The test was multiple choice which made it easier. I agree with the statements above 100%.

Really? I substitute in elementary grades and they seem to spend a lot of time on spelling and phonics.

I've never seen a spelling test come home for any of my kids. Maybe it depends on the school but that is good that yours appears to be doing spelling.

No. They don’t send spelling lists home. It does involve a lot of phonics and phonetic work though. It’s county-wide.

Just because you aren’t seeing a spelling list doesn’t mean they aren’t teaching spelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this has many rounds?

Unless your kid is very serious about it, winning the school bee just means losing the county bee. At the county bee, they will be up against kids who view spelling bee as their primary extra curricular activity

Okay... So first round to select kids to participate in the school bee, then do school bee to select kids to do the county bee, which is normally a failure for casual players?

Ours was school bee open to all. Then county bee and a quick exit

[Anonymous]

Our ES doesn't do spelling bees. Or any extracurriculars or clubs at all, for that matter. It's a shithole and I regret moving here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

My kid practiced the words and made it through the first round. I used it as an opportunity to work on spelling since the school doesn't teach it. The test was multiple choice which made it easier. I agree with the statements above 100%.

Really? I substitute in elementary grades and they seem to spend a lot of time on spelling and phonics.

Rubbish!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

My kid practiced the words and made it through the first round. I used it as an opportunity to work on spelling since the school doesn't teach it. The test was multiple choice which made it easier. I agree with the statements above 100%.

Really? I substitute in elementary grades and they seem to spend a lot of time on spelling and phonics.

I've never seen a spelling test come home for any of my kids. Maybe it depends on the school but that is good that yours appears to be doing spelling.

No. They don’t send spelling lists home. It does involve a lot of phonics and phonetic work though. It’s county-wide.

Just because you aren’t seeing a spelling list doesn’t mean they aren’t teaching spelling.

The idea of working on phonics again just started up after Covid Lockdown and realizing how pathetic Lucy Calkin’s curriculum had been. So, if you have a kid in 6th grade, then they have suffered with no phonics, no spelling, no penmenship, and no grammar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s optional at our elementary school. Last year my child was a good speller for his age because he had been at Catholic school for the two years prior. They had weekly spelling test. Unfortunately, the test to be eligible to compete in the spelling, spelling bee had words that were pretty far above grade level, and the kids had to get a perfect score on that test in order to be able to participate in the Bee. There wasn’t any time given at school to study the words, we were just trying to do it on our own at home and he didn’t quite get there. It didn’t bother him that he didn’t make it. This year I’m not even bothering to encourage him because his spelling has regressed now that he’s in a school district that doesn’t bother to teach or correct it. I agree that it’s ironic that they want to have a spelling bee when they don’t even teach the kids spelling. Our school has a lot of kids who are several grade levels ahead, and the spelling bee seems to be geared toward them. As if they already need more recognition and people telling them how smart they are. It is kind of a shame, because I remember being able to participate and doing pretty well in the spelling bee without needing to be that far ahead. The words were more in line with the spelling words that we actually studied at school.

My kid practiced the words and made it through the first round. I used it as an opportunity to work on spelling since the school doesn't teach it. The test was multiple choice which made it easier. I agree with the statements above 100%.

Really? I substitute in elementary grades and they seem to spend a lot of time on spelling and phonics.

I've never seen a spelling test come home for any of my kids. Maybe it depends on the school but that is good that yours appears to be doing spelling.

No. They don’t send spelling lists home. It does involve a lot of phonics and phonetic work though. It’s county-wide.

Just because you aren’t seeing a spelling list doesn’t mean they aren’t teaching spelling.

PP whose kid went to Catholic for two years. Teaching the rules is a good start, but most kids aren’t going to retain that info very well if they aren’t being tested on it. Spelling rules are one of those situations where it makes sense. I liked how the Catholic school did it. Each night Mon-Thurs they had just a little bit of spelling homework. One night was the write the words in alphabetical order. Next night was to write each word in a sentence. Night after that, rainbow write each word. I forget the last thing. The exposure and repetition helped them learn the words. The teachers also made sure to correct it in their writing. I don’t see that happening in FCPS.