How do some of the nation's "top spellers" make the most of their remaining time to study? Many focus on strategy and fine-tuning their word knowledge in order to maximize their on-stage performance. A contestant favorite since 2010, one spelling course leads the way.
HUNT, Texas, March 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Hexco Academic's Spelling Crash Course is a time-tested spelling coach program designed to boost spelling proficiency and confidence in five to six weeks. Surpassing traditional methods of rote memorization, or quizzing alone, Hexco's Spelling Crash Course is an innovative learning path geared toward spellers who are preparing for the National Spelling Bee* (NSB) and other advanced-level bees. The class starts in mid-April.
Linda Tarrant, president of Hexco Academic, states, "Our annual Spelling Crash Course empowers students with additional tools they can use to excel. Students in this program are encouraged to master the subtleties of language and communicate with clarity and confidence."
Conducted online in a participatory group setting with other spellers who are also NSB contestants, the class fills in the essential knowledge "gaps" that can enhance a student's spelling bee performance. The curriculum includes an in-depth study of diverse languages, language families, as well as specific language rules. Access to Hexco's Spelling eMentor and a variety of obtuse and commonly missed words are included and live "spell bees" are held with peers who are also in the program. Since performance on a national stage can feel intimidating to some, Hexco's Spelling Crash Course can also be a helpful way to work out the "jitters" among fellow contestants, many of whom remain friends for years beyond the NSB.
Head Spelling Coach, Michelle Horton, says, "Several spellers have placed much higher from this course compared to self-preparation before enrollment and many spellers have used the course as a springboard into personal coaching. Several in the course have made it to the finals, and one even won the Scripps National Spelling Bee."
Word lists provided with the course are reserved for our Spelling Crash Course and Personal Spelling Coach (PSC) program and are not sold to the general public, however, if you are looking for additional advanced spelling bee word practice, there are numerous excellent spelling bee study lists in printed or Hexco's eMentor format.
Books or software for spelling bee word practice:
- New Nat's Notes (18,000 advanced-level words)
- Blitz Lists (cantankerous words never or rarely seen in spelling bees)
- Webster Detector (a variety of new words added to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary)
- Verbomania (13,000 words for vocabulary study with SAT-type words)
- Spelling Rules Book (excellent for in-depth study of language rules)
"It's always an honor to work with these hard-working young champions and to root for them in the competition," Horton adds. "Meeting fellow spellers before heading to the national bee is a lot of fun for these participants, and for many, this is rewarding in itself. It is a fast-paced, rigorous course and well worth the time investment."
"We're proud to introduce this course to a new generation of spellers who are some of the brightest minds of today," says Tarrant.
Hexco Academic is a 35+ year publishing company that has followed the NSB since the 1980s when all the founders' daughters competed at the national level. Known as the "Spelling Sisters" the three siblings each had a hand in developing spelling materials and software, a tradition that continues to support spellers today. The company was also the first to hold an online national spelling bee with Kaplan, Inc. when the 2020 Scripps Spelling Bee was canceled due to the pandemic. Additionally, Hexco pioneered the Personal Spelling Coach (PSC) program for advanced spellers leading to the annual Spelling Crash Course that was introduced in 2010, with subsequent improvements added. The company supports the South Asian Spelling Bee, Texas UIL Spelling, North South Foundation Spelling Bee, Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Spelling Bee, and the Alabama Independent School Association Spelling Bee.
Course details and sign-up information:
https://www.hexco.com/spelling-crash-course/
*Legal Disclaimer:
Hexco Academic is an independent publisher of advanced study materials and programs and is not affiliated with Scripps or Scripps National Spelling Bee or any parties related.
Media Contact
Linda Tarrant, Hexco Academic, 1 830-367-3825, [email protected], www.hexco.com
SOURCE Hexco Academic
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