Written by: Megan Warren, 5th Grade Teacher & Nicole Vowell, 4th Grade Teacher
Aesthetically. Connoisseur. Odoriferous.
Many adults cannot pronounce, let alone spell, these incredibly difficult words. Fourth and fifth grade students at Cooks Corners Elementary School certainly can, and they can do so in under 20 seconds!
Spell Bowl is an extracurricular activity offered at many local elementary schools, including Cooks Corners, each fall. In early September, Cooks Corners held a two day tryout using a 750 word list created by the state. The team is comprised of 11 fourth and fifth grade students who should be proud to be known as the top spellers of their school.
Students have put in countless hours of studying both at school and at home. They have often met before the school day begins, and have even taken time out of their recess, in order to master these difficult words.
To practice, students write their words in a spell bowl notebook, much like a traditional spelling test. The team also practices with various spelling games.
The upcoming spell bowl competition is set up the same way- it is not your typical spelling bee. The students are required to spell seven words on their paper, earning one point for each correctly spelled word. Eight students will spell for their team, which gives each team a possibility of earning 56 total points.
Throughout their time on the spell bowl team, the students learn much more than how to spell “hard” words. They learn teamwork, how to challenge themselves, and how to be proud of themselves and their classmates.
The Northwest Indiana Regional Competition is one of the toughest in the state of Indiana. The public is invited to come show their support Thursday, November 19 at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 5:00 p.m.
Best of luck to all of the participants!