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How to Train for a Spelling Bee. There's more to winning a spelling bee than memorizing
words. Here's how the champions train. You will need Reading Word lists Knowledge of
word roots Spelling rules and study. Step 1. Read as many books and news articles as
you can. Good spellers are almost always avid readers. Step 2. Study the official word lists
that are used in district, county, city, regional, and state spelling bees. They change annually,
and are provided to participating schools. Step 3. Study words that are frequently misspelled.
Find collections of them online or in bookstores. Look for word lists put together by the E.W.
Scripps Company, which sponsors the National Spelling Bee. Step 4. Learn Latin, Greek,
and other roots as part of your training. Asking for a word's language of origin is
allowed at spelling bees, so having this knowledge can help you figure out how to spell words
you've never heard before. Step 5. Memorize spelling rules such as "I before E except
after C." Knowing these spelling principles is a great way to train for a bee. Don't think
you can just "memorize the dictionary." The one they use at the national bee has more
than 472,000 words. Step 6. Study as much as you can. Most competitive spellers train
every single day. Remember, just like getting to Carnegie Hall, getting to the National
Spelling Bee finals in Washington, D.C. takes practice, practice, practice! Did you know
Up to 10 percent of the kids who make it to the National Spelling Bee championships each
year have older siblings who also got that far.