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.
About the Scripps National Spelling Bee:
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation's largest and longest-running educational program. The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. Visit spellingbee.com for more information about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company.
About Scripps:
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of local and national media brands. With 52 television stations in 36 markets, Scripps is one of the nation’s largest independent TV station owners. Scripps runs a collection of national journalism and content businesses, including Newsy , the next-generation national news network; podcast industry leader Stitcher ; the fast-growing national broadcast networks Bounce , Grit , Escape , Laff and Court TV ; and Triton , the global leader in digital audio technology and measurement services. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee . Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
