Kathy Koschoff-Rapkin's List: Independent Study: Spelling Bees

• Nine newspapers collaborated to start the National Spelling Bee in 1925. In 1941, Scripps took over sponsorship of the National Spelling Bee. There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee during the war years of 1943–45.

  
  Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957, and 1962. Of the 87 champions, 46 have been girls and 41 have been boys.

   

  The program experienced steady growth between the 1920s and the 1970s, and between 1980 and 1990 the number of participants doubled. In recent years the program underwent a second growth spurt — and a significant surge in popularity — thanks to live coverage on ESPN.

   

  Television broadcast history:

  • 1946: The national finals were broadcast live on NBC.
  • 1974 and 1977: The national finals were broadcast on PBS a taped primetime special.
  • 1994–2009: The national finals were broadcast live in daytime on ESPN.
  • 2006–2010: The national finals were broadcast live on ABC.
  • 2011: The national finals were broadcast live in primetime on ESPN.

• When organizing a spelling bee, you do want to have a variety of easy, medium, and difficult words.
• Decide on the rules such as timing and how a person is eliminated.
• Decide as a class exactly how the spelling bee is carried out. De

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    The National Spelling Bee was begun in 1925. Nine students participated in the first national finals. In 1942,   Scripps acquired the rights to the program. There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee during the World War II   years of 1943, 1944, and 1945. Of the 87 National Spelling Bee champions, 46 have been girls and 41 have been   boys. Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957, and 1962. The 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee will involve more   than 11 million students.

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  1.  
     This year we welcome 278 spellers from the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Europe; as well as the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. 
   
  2.   Bee Week 2012 marks the first visit to the nation’s capital for 93 spellers. 
   
  3.   Six-year-old Lori Anne Madison, Speller 269 from Woodbridge, Virginia, is the youngest speller in this year's competition — and the youngest speller on record with the Scripps National Spelling Bee. 
   
  4.  
     The spellers range in age from 6 to 15 years old, but 84% are between the ages of 12 and 14 years old.
• • Three 2011 championship finalists — Nabeel Rahman, Arvind Mahankali and Samuel Estep — are among this year's field of competitors. 
   
  •   Parents and family members serve as coaches for 238 spellers. 
   
  •   This year's group of competitors is 48.9% boys and 51.1% girls. 
   
  •   Math is named as a favorite subject by 110 of this year's spellers. Science is the next most popular subject. 
   
  •   Twenty spellers have at least one relative who has competed in previous national finals. 
   
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    The spellers' favorite words include cwm, serendipity and humuhumunukunukuapuaa.
• t 84% are between the ages of 12 and 14 yea
• ld, but 84% are between the ages of 12 and 14 years

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• Over the years, the Bee has grown from a mere 9 contestants to the 2007 high of 286.