SpellingAudrey's Study Ways

Favorite Way: Looking through Consolidated Word List

Roots: I haven't really gotten into roots yet, but I plan to do so in the future. (I only got to State this year where you can't ask root questions.) When reading CWL, I sometimes figure out what a certain root might mean.

Lists: I use:
* Spell It!
* Consolidated Word List 2004 Frequent, Moderate Frequency, Infrequent
* Lists from How to Spell Like A Champ
* Previous and present Great American SpellCheck Lists (the ones they usually use for school, classroom, and part of district bees)
* Lists from Death By Spelling by David Grambs (You can find it on Amazon. Look at the answer key at the back for the CORRECT spellings. Note that some of the words do NOT qualify as spelling bee words.)
* Parts of Words of Champions that you can find on the internet.
* The Herald (Sharon, PA) Spelling Bee word lists.
* I don't own Webster's Third because I haven't participated in Scripps yet.

Flash Cards: I don't like flash cards because there are so many words to study that flash cards don't cover them all. However, they are helpful for a lower level bee like a school or classroom bee. I do use a flash card-like app on my iPod called SpellDown Spelling Bee. ($1.99) You can create lists and add definitions and other info and record pronunciations or use pre-recorded ones for some of the more common words. Since my school uses Spell it! for school bees, I organized the lists by origin like Spell it! does. This app is helpful for lower level bees where you have a study list, but not so much higher level bees where you don't. It is a great tool to have when no one is around to quiz you. Even if you memorized Spell it! years ago, you can still review it so you don't trip up at your regional bee.

Techniques: I read the CWL word by word and find words that might be harder and likely to be in the bee and take notes on them if I find anything interesting like a root.

Advice to other spellers: Don't be afraid of competing against spellers who have done well in the past. For example, at the school bee, I was nervous about competing as a sixth grader against eight graders who had made it to the Regional Bee before or had siblings who made it to State. It turns out, the two students from our school who made it to Regional last year don't even go to our school anymore! Don't give up jist because there are people who have done better than you previously. Also, remove yourself from all distractions, especially electronics you don't need when studying! This one is very hard for me! Develop self-discipline!

You should definitely consider studying root words BEFORE your state bee, even if you are not allowed to ask that type of question. They (the National Spelling Bee listmakers) do like to use words containing roots at the regional level. For example, at several regional spelling bees this year, the word "theomachy" was used. Even if you couldn't ask if it contained the Greek root "theo" meaning god, you still would have recognized the word "god" in the definition, and since it is Greek you could have put two and two together. Also, by studying root words you unconsciously learn spelling patterns, which will enable you to take more or less accurate stabs at unknown words. I hope this was helpful!

I would echo what AbbyNormal says. It is never too early to start learning word stems/roots. The CWL is awash with many great examples of Greek and Latin words (some of which look quite intimidating) that are simply two or three plain roots linked together. Once you know the roots, the spelling of the words becomes a lot easier, and in many cases is trivial.

One of the first things I did was to scan the CWL and break down most of the Greek and Latin words into their constituent roots. You'll be surprised at how many roots recur in words on the CWL. I ended up with a stack of about 175 index cards with one Greek or Latin root on each and numerous example words beneath. I now know that stack inside and out and I feel confident about spelling any word containing those roots (which could total many thousands of words).

Also consider this. With increased competition at the state/regional level, bees are often concluded by going 'off list'. I think this is where a sound knowledge of Greek and Latin roots may give you the edge. Our school bee went off list this year and the word 'entomophagous' appeared. Straightforward if you know the two forming roots (entom- + -phagous) but tricky if you have to take a stab at it blind.

Hope this helps a little

Thanks for the good advice to study roots now. I can guess what "entomophagous" means. Feeding on insects. Am I right?

Yes, you got it!