May 28, 2009
Several years ago, Doug and I got hooked on the Annual National Spelling Bee. This year's edition takes place today--both pre-lims and the finals are being aired. I'm sure many of you are thinking that sounds about as fascinating as watching paint dry. I assure you, however, that is some absolutely RIVETING programming. The drama! The nerves! The hours (years!) of studying! The triumph! The crushing defeat! The amazing sheer knowledge these kids bring!
The kids vary in age from nine to fourteen. They are elementary kids and junior high kids. Many of them are homeschooled. These are not what we would think of as your typical pre-teens. What they are, however, is a group of funny, quirky, interesting kids whose particular penchant for words and origins, and definitions, and, yes, spelling, is celebrated and honored in a world which so often forgets to pay homage to these skills, drowned out as they are by the cheering of football crowds, and the screams of hockey fanatics, and the joyous chanting voices raised in baseball solidarity.
It's the ultimate underdog story in a lot of ways. I can't wait to catch old favorites (many of the kids return again as many years as they can until they age out) and to meet the new up-and-coming talent. And I'll be cheering for them (and admiring them) every step of the way.
Several years ago, Doug and I got hooked on the Annual National Spelling Bee. This year's edition takes place today--both pre-lims and the finals are being aired. I'm sure many of you are thinking that sounds about as fascinating as watching paint dry. I assure you, however, that is some absolutely RIVETING programming. The drama! The nerves! The hours (years!) of studying! The triumph! The crushing defeat! The amazing sheer knowledge these kids bring!
The kids vary in age from nine to fourteen. They are elementary kids and junior high kids. Many of them are homeschooled. These are not what we would think of as your typical pre-teens. What they are, however, is a group of funny, quirky, interesting kids whose particular penchant for words and origins, and definitions, and, yes, spelling, is celebrated and honored in a world which so often forgets to pay homage to these skills, drowned out as they are by the cheering of football crowds, and the screams of hockey fanatics, and the joyous chanting voices raised in baseball solidarity.
It's the ultimate underdog story in a lot of ways. I can't wait to catch old favorites (many of the kids return again as many years as they can until they age out) and to meet the new up-and-coming talent. And I'll be cheering for them (and admiring them) every step of the way.
Posts
I love spelling bees! Every since I won the 3rd Grade Spelling Bee in my school. I was hooked. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm confused as to why that's on TV. Well, it will help me fall asleep anyway. :o)
ReplyDeleteI get too nervous for the kids! I know it sounds weird but spelling bees (especially high stakes spelling bees!) are too much of a nail-biter for me.
ReplyDeleteYeah! Spelling bees totally rock. It is one of the (geekier) things I am proud of - being a good speller. I wouldn't win any awards for grammar - but spelling? Hit me!
ReplyDeleteThose kidlets are better spellers than I! I can't believe the words they get during competition. Wow!
ReplyDeleteHave you seen spellbound?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spellboundmovie.com/
You would probably enjoy it. I am fascinated by mathcounts which is the math spelling kind of bee.
Oh, I love the Scripps Spelling Bee! I can't believe how awesome of spellers those youngsters really are! To me, the competition marks the beginning of summer and I believe for the first time it's on Prime Time, not ESPN.
ReplyDeleteI love spelling bees! I really wish I could watch this, darn Germany TV! You'll have to fill us in.
ReplyDeleteI used to love spelling.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, I impress myself sometimes now when typing a word and knowing the correct spelling.
Sad, but true. LOL
I've watched parts of this but never the whole thing. My daughter won a spelling bee in elementary school - one of the most nerve-wracking events ever!
ReplyDelete