Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Spelling Expertise Requested

Anna at Blue Rose Girls is asking for some assistance with information about young spellers and spelling bees for a book she's writing that features a bird who loves to spell. Can you help her? She writes:
Here is what I'd like to know:

-At what age/grade do kids switch from phonetic, or sounded-out spelling, to standard spelling? When do teachers start correcting the spelling on their homework? I know this is a very individual thing, I've gotten answers from anywhere from Kindergarden to 2nd grade... what has been your experience?

-Has anyone out there been to a spelling bee in recent past, or had one at your school? If so, which grades participated? Was it part of the curriculum, or an after school/enrichment type of thing?

-I've been looking at word lists for spelling bees (by grade) online, is there a good resource for this that you know of? I've heard the "four blocks" literacy model is a standard one.... but I'd love to know of more!

2 comments:

  1. Feel like I should make a comment here, since I have headed my school spelling bee for 10 years. Our spelling bee is 3-5th grade (we are k-5 school). We use the Scripps Howard List. It is during school, but it is like a contest. Anyone can be in it from those grades. The winner usually goes to the district bee, but I just heard we aren't having one this year?--BBBooooo!
    Not much else to say on spelling. Hope that helps someone.

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  2. Thank you Megan, much appreciated! I will check out the Scripps Howard List.

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