Local Spelling Bees
Local Spelling Bees:
Local Spelling Bees can be held between February 11th - March 13th, 2020. Regional Qualifier forms must be submitted by March 14th, 2020 11:59 PM.
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How to Run a Local Qualifying Bee
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Before your bee:
*You may decide to form a small committee and assign a Committee Chairperson at your local school to coordinate and run the Bee.
1. Secure a space for the date that best fits your schedule. The space needs to be equipped with desks or tables and chairs. A classroom or a classroom-like setting is preferred. There should be enough space to accommodate 20 students comfortably.
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2. After securing a space for a specific date, advertise the Local Qualifying Bee. Make sure that students know that they should bring a pencil/pen and a sheet of paper.
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3. Submit your Local Bee details here:
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4. Distribute word lists to the students to study for the Local Qualifying Bee. Word lists for each grade can be found here.
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5. You are encouraged to hold practices beforehand. Tips for creating a Spelling Bee club and holding practices can be found here.
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6. Prepare all the materials for the Local Qualifying Bee: extra paper, extra pencils, and 10 words selected from each grade-level list.
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During your Bee
7. On the day of the Local Qualifying Bee, make sure you have at least one person outside the room with the sign-up sheet. Download sign in sheet here:
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The judges will be inside the room with the word lists. There should be at least two judges. You need at least three people total and more if you anticipate a lot of children.
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8. Call students into the room in groups of up to 20. Students should be grouped with others from their same grade level. Students should take a piece of blank paper and write their name on the top. Only judges and students should be in the room. There should be no talking after the test has begun.
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9. The judge reads 10 words, including translations. The judges may not read more than 10 words. Judges should say each word at least twice and may repeat the words more than twice if asked.
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10. Judges must pronounce the words correctly. Judges are NOT allowed to over-enunciate syllables in order to match the spelling.
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11. If available, a native English speaker should read the English words, and a native speaker of Albanian, Macedonian, or Turkish should read the translations. For the Local Bees only , a native speaker of Albanian, Macedonian, or Turkish is allowed to read the words in English as long as the words are pronounced correctly.
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12. While the judge is reading the words, students cannot talk. If students are seen looking at the word list or at anther person's paper, talking during the test or erasing letters they are disqualified and should be asked to leave the classroom.
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13. Students must write in clear print. Students are not allowed to erase or cross out a letter. Illegible words will be considered incorrect.
14. Once the last word is read, the students should stay seated while one judge collects the papers.
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15. The judges then correct the papers. A single mistake means that the student cannot qualify for the Regional Bee. Only students who have zero mistakes qualify for the Regional Bee.
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16. Once the papers are graded, the coordinator calls the student up to the front of the room and tells them how they did. If they got all 10 words correct with no mistakes, they are presented with an invitation to a Regional Bee (page 10-13). This student's name is then noted on the sign-in sheet.
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17. Test papers should be collected and kept in a safe place until Regional Bees have been completed.
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After your bee
18. Make sure students who qualify for the Regional Bee receive and understand their invitation to the Regional Bee (see Important Documents for invitations).
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19. You (as the local Bee coordinator) are allowed to choose the Regional Bee location that is closest and most convenient for yourself and your students. Please find the information on Regional Bees (where they're held and on what date) and select the location that makes the most sense. Please note that different grade levels may be asked to come at different times.
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20. After the Local Qualifying Bee, please download and complete on your computer the Regional Spelling Bee Qualifier Submission Form:
After completing the form, attach the document to an email and send it to nationalspellingbee@gmail.com before the advertised submission deadline. To fill out this form, you need each qualifying student’s name, grade, school, native language, and English teacher , as well as the region and the total number of students who participated in your Bee. You must submit this form by March 8th, 2020 11:59 PM.
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21. Students who have not participated in the Local Qualifying Bee are not permitted to participate in the Regional Bee. If there is a problem and a student is not able to attend his or her Local Qualifying Bee, the judges/teachers who are running the Local Bee are responsible for testing the student separately (following the same rules) up until the last possible date for Local Qualifying Bees (March 7th, 2020).
22. For students who qualify for the Regional Bee, it would be in their best interest to hold practices regularly. Familiarize them with the rules for the Regional Bee and make sure they have the list of words for their grade level and at least one grade level up.
23. Additional information for qualifying students, such as the time and location of Regional Bees, will be available on our website and Facebook page.
