CINCINNATI — The Scripps National Spelling Bee has a new study resource, “Words of the Champions,” for students participating in spelling competitions occurring between August 2019 and March 2020.
The Bee selected the 4,000 words for Words of the Champions from the Bee’s official dictionary, Merriam-Webster Unabridged. Words of the Champions replaces “Spell It!,” a collection of 1,150 words used by students to prepare for spelling bees since 2006. Each year, the Bee will refresh Words of the Champions by replacing 800 words.
“Spellers and teachers told us they wanted more words, and we’ve delivered,” said Paige Kimble, executive director for the Bee. “This broader list was designed to challenge and inspire students and is the culmination of a year of research and development by our team.”
Nested in Words of the Champions are 450 words sourced from the 18 engaging and grade-appropriate books included in the Bee’s 2020 Great Words, Great Works reading program. By reading the books, students can gain a deeper understanding of the words they are learning to spell. As they begin their spelling bee journey, they will spell many of these 450 words in classroom and school spelling competitions.
On Aug. 20, Words of the Champions and other study materials will be available for teachers at Bee-enrolled schools to download from spellingbee.com. On the same day, an Amazon Kindle version of Words of the Champions will be available for purchase by members of the general public.
