For nearly 100 years, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has been an academic staple of our culture. You likely have your own spelling bee memory, either a moment of victory in a school competition or a word that you misspelled along your journey and now will never forget.
This past June, Dev Shah had his own unforgettable spelling bee moment when he correctly spelled “psammophile” to become the 2023 national champion. While his journey culminated with confetti falling on a stage in Washington, D.C., it began months earlier in a classroom at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School in Largo, Florida.
Dev was one of millions of students who participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program in 2023 and this year, your students have the chance to go on their own spelling bee journeys. You can make their dreams possible by enrolling your school today!
How does the Scripps National Spelling Bee program work?
At its core, the Bee program takes place at the school level with millions of students learning words and discovering interests and aptitudes that will shape the rest of their lives. Beginning with classroom spellings bees and continuing through to school-wide competitions, students follow a path that buzzes through regional spelling bees hosted by Bee-approved regional partners all the way to the national competition.
Your elementary and middle school students can reap academic benefits alongside intangible assets like public speaking, poise under pressure and good sportsmanship. Bring the championship experience to your school today at spellingbee.com/enroll.
Why should you start a spelling bee program at your school?
It’s a flexible program that will fit your school’s needs.
Starting a spelling bee program at your school is simple with the Bee’s resources at your fingertips. By enrolling in the Bee, you gain access to classroom and school materials for educators through an easy-to-use online portal and a competition format that can accommodate your entire school. Learn more in our exclusive Bee Guide for Educators and Schools
Your school’s enrollment includes:
- Official study lists with spellings and word meanings for students in grades 1-8,
- Official competition lists for conducting classroom and school spelling bees,
- Supplemental vocabulary materials for classroom and school levels,
- Access to the Online Testing Platform, a tool that gives educators the flexibility to administer a school spelling bee program via online spelling and vocabulary tests
- Award certificates for participants and your school champion,
- Entrance for your school champion in your community’s regional spelling bee program, and
- Step-by-step tutorials, training webinars and customer support from the national office.
It’s a great complement to your reading curriculum.
Great readers make great spellers, and that’s why we take a holistic approach when crafting our resources. Every word on our school-level study list is carefully chosen from a list of engaging books, allowing your students to read their study words within the pages of stories.
Our Great Words, Great Works book list is comprised of books with age-appropriate content and rich vocabulary. The grade-level designations encourage students to engage with their specific study words in context, a meaningful method that brings the words to life.
It’s a unique recognition opportunity for students at multiple levels.
Gina Calhoun, the Bee’s 2023 Educator of the Year, is an eighth-grade teacher who knows the importance of giving students the opportunity to shine. As the school bee coordinator at Ashe County Middle School in Warrensville, North Carolina, she sees the Bee program as a way to celebrate her students and help them recognize their accomplishments.
With recognition points at the classroom, grade and school level along with certificates to award to the “Most Improved Speller,” “Best Sportsmanship” and more, the Bee program offers chances to celebrate a variety of students’ strengths and achievements.
It inspires a love of learning that lasts.
When we spoke to educators about their recent experiences in the classroom, we heard a common theme: The Bee inspires a love of learning in students that has been difficult to spark with all the challenges educators and students have faced in recent years.
Engaging with words and their meanings, language patterns and more opens students’ eyes to worlds beyond their everyday lives, and this facet of our program makes a lasting impression on students at all levels of the program.
Ready to share the power of words with your students?
Enroll your school in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program today. For $180 per school, you will have immediate access to study lists, spelling and vocabulary resources for educators, and a pathway for your school champion to compete in the next level of your community’s spelling bee program. Enroll by Oct. 31 to receive this early bird pricing.
Who knows? The 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion could be a student in your classroom! Enroll today at spellingbee.com/enroll to give your students the words they need to shine their light on the world.