How to Train for a Spelling Bee
Read as much as possible., Learn word meanings., Use mnemonics to learn new words., Learn how to perform word mapping., Learn official study words.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Read as much as possible.
Try to read something every day, even if it’s not much.
Read anything that might put you into contact with new words.
Don’t worry if you are not able to finish something you’re reading.
Your main goal is to find words you don’t know and increase your vocabulary.
Read books, magazines, news articles, pamphlets, and packaging.
Keep a list of new words.
It’s a good idea to use a dedicated notebook or folder to keep track of new words so you can always easily access it and refer to it when you need. -
Step 2: Learn word meanings.
Buy a dictionary and look up the meaning of any word you don’t know.
You can also use an online dictionary or a phone app to discover the meaning of unfamiliar words.Practice understanding the word by using it in context.
Use an example from your life that makes sense to you and will be easy for you to remember.
For example, say you learn the word "bombastic," which means important sounding but essentially meaningless.
You may watch a local political debate and think to yourself, "Senator Sheridan's speech was bombastic." If you're looking up new words online, make sure you use a reputable source.
Instead of something generic, like Dictionary.com, use something like the Merriam-Webster website. , Mnemonics are types of techniques used to remember difficult pieces of information.
You learn to associate words with images, places, sounds, or other pieces of information to help you better remember them.You can use a mnemonic technique to learn new words.
Simply trying to memorize a list of words is not especially effective.
Group words based on common characteristics.
Then, link words using visual association.
You can also use the method of loci, which is the technique of imagining a familiar space and placing an item you want to remember in that space.You can also make a rhyme or song out of words or create acronyms.
Acronyms are a word or abbreviation created using the first letters of words.For example, say you need to remember the definition of the word "capricious," which means whimsical or unpredictable.
The beginning of the word
- "capri"
- can remind you of capri pants.
You can try envision someone wearing capris while also dancing or laughing in a whimsical manner. , A great technique for learning how to spell new words is word mapping.
This involves looking for patterns in words instead of thinking of words as arbitrary strings of random letters, which makes memorizing words very difficult.First, speak the word out loud.
As you go, exaggerate or stretch a word by individual phonemes, which are the smallest units of a word that express differences in meaning.
For example, you may say "capricious" as "caaapriiiiciouuuus."Break up the word into individual syllables.
For example, "ca-pri-cious." Count the phonemes of a word.
There are three phonemes in "capricious." Write individual phonemes of a word.
There are three phonemes in "capricious." Write the word using cursive handwriting and then study the spelling of the word.
Recite a word’s meaning out loud.
For example, "Capricious means whimsical or unpredictable.
Capricious means whimsical or unpredictable..."
Find out if your spelling bee is registered with the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
If not, your spelling bee organizer may have their own list of official study words for you to look at.Ask for the 100 official words for your grade level.
Ask for the 450 official words for grades 1 through
8.
Ask for the 1150 official words in the Spell It! Scripps National Spelling Bee study guide. -
Step 3: Use mnemonics to learn new words.
-
Step 4: Learn how to perform word mapping.
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Step 5: Learn official study words.
Detailed Guide
Try to read something every day, even if it’s not much.
Read anything that might put you into contact with new words.
Don’t worry if you are not able to finish something you’re reading.
Your main goal is to find words you don’t know and increase your vocabulary.
Read books, magazines, news articles, pamphlets, and packaging.
Keep a list of new words.
It’s a good idea to use a dedicated notebook or folder to keep track of new words so you can always easily access it and refer to it when you need.
Buy a dictionary and look up the meaning of any word you don’t know.
You can also use an online dictionary or a phone app to discover the meaning of unfamiliar words.Practice understanding the word by using it in context.
Use an example from your life that makes sense to you and will be easy for you to remember.
For example, say you learn the word "bombastic," which means important sounding but essentially meaningless.
You may watch a local political debate and think to yourself, "Senator Sheridan's speech was bombastic." If you're looking up new words online, make sure you use a reputable source.
Instead of something generic, like Dictionary.com, use something like the Merriam-Webster website. , Mnemonics are types of techniques used to remember difficult pieces of information.
You learn to associate words with images, places, sounds, or other pieces of information to help you better remember them.You can use a mnemonic technique to learn new words.
Simply trying to memorize a list of words is not especially effective.
Group words based on common characteristics.
Then, link words using visual association.
You can also use the method of loci, which is the technique of imagining a familiar space and placing an item you want to remember in that space.You can also make a rhyme or song out of words or create acronyms.
Acronyms are a word or abbreviation created using the first letters of words.For example, say you need to remember the definition of the word "capricious," which means whimsical or unpredictable.
The beginning of the word
- "capri"
- can remind you of capri pants.
You can try envision someone wearing capris while also dancing or laughing in a whimsical manner. , A great technique for learning how to spell new words is word mapping.
This involves looking for patterns in words instead of thinking of words as arbitrary strings of random letters, which makes memorizing words very difficult.First, speak the word out loud.
As you go, exaggerate or stretch a word by individual phonemes, which are the smallest units of a word that express differences in meaning.
For example, you may say "capricious" as "caaapriiiiciouuuus."Break up the word into individual syllables.
For example, "ca-pri-cious." Count the phonemes of a word.
There are three phonemes in "capricious." Write individual phonemes of a word.
There are three phonemes in "capricious." Write the word using cursive handwriting and then study the spelling of the word.
Recite a word’s meaning out loud.
For example, "Capricious means whimsical or unpredictable.
Capricious means whimsical or unpredictable..."
Find out if your spelling bee is registered with the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
If not, your spelling bee organizer may have their own list of official study words for you to look at.Ask for the 100 official words for your grade level.
Ask for the 450 official words for grades 1 through
8.
Ask for the 1150 official words in the Spell It! Scripps National Spelling Bee study guide.
About the Author
Samuel Griffin
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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