Today, 285 spelling champions from across the country are in Washington, DC, to compete in Scripps National Spelling Bee. My hat is off to each of them. When I was a kid, spelling bees were a common practice in elementary schools. I spent a lot of time sitting at my desk after missing words. Honestly, I’m not that bad of a speller—on paper anyway. But when you put me in front of the entire class, I was lucky to remember my name.
Am I being old school to think that spelling is still an important part of literacy instruction? Or could the need to spell accurately be falling by the wayside, sort of like cursive writing?
Please buzz in!
Diane