School Enrollment Opens for 2013-2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee

CINCINNATI, Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Students are going back to school to immerse themselves in the study of reading, writing and arithmetic. And as the students hit the books, teachers, school administrators and PTA leaders can hit the web to enroll schools in the 2013-2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee.  

School enrollment takes place exclusively at spellingbee.com. Parents can also use the search function on the site to see if their child's school is enrolled.

"We estimate that 11 million students will take part in the program this year," said Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. "Participating schools have the opportunity to either start or continue a celebrated tradition and shine the light on academic achievement of all involved, from individual students to schools and school districts."  

For the first time, vocabulary questions are incorporated into the lists educators use in the school-level spelling bees. Materials also provide direction on how educators can integrate vocabulary questions into their bees.

The use of vocabulary questions in a school spelling bee is not mandatory, but encouraged to underscore the importance of knowing the meaning of words. Vocabulary testing was well received when introduced at the national finals earlier this year, and vocabulary questions will continue to be included in the preliminaries and semifinals portions of the 2014 national finals.

Once enrolled, teachers and administrators have access to a virtual bee-in-a-box, with everything they need to run a classroom or school spelling bee, such as:

• Online access to the teachers-only section of spellingbee.com (preview)
• Official study lists for students, organized by grade level (sample)
• Study materials for each school spelling champion (sample)
• The 2014 Classroom Pronouncer Guide (sample)
• The 2014 School Pronouncer Guide (sample)
• Materials to conduct a Great American SpellCheck fundraiser
• Award certificates (sample) 
• A free one-year subscription to Britannica Online for Kids (a $69.95 value) to use as a spelling bee prize 

The fee is $120 per school and the prime enrollment period ends on October 15.

This year, students from eight countries will participate in the spelling bee: the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Competitors also come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Department of Defense Schools in Europe.  

And through countless spelling bees, the initial group of 11 million participants from around the globe will be whittled to less than 300 expert spellers who will compete in May at the 87^th annual National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C. area.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation's largest and longest-running educational program.  

The 2013 champion was Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year-old speller from Bayside Hills, N.Y.

Mahankali became Scripps National Spelling Bee champion after correctly spelling the word "knaidel," which is defined as "a dumpling."

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 spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all of 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:
Scripps (NYSE: SSP) (www.scripps.com) is a leading media enterprise driven to develop and expand its digital strategies while embracing its rich history in delivering quality journalism through television stations, newspapers and the Scripps Howard News Service. Creative, talented and energetic employees are leading the way at 19 television stations and in 13 newspaper markets. The Scripps digital group is growing and gaining momentum with new product offerings, enhancements, and technology that gives customers more options than ever before to find the information and entertainment they crave.

SOURCE Scripps