.jpg)
By: Paula Slade
With this week’s focus of the on-line and televised drama that often accompanies the Scripps National Spelling Bee, children might just get bitten by the spelling bug, as oftentimes, positive peer examples offer the best motivation.
What are the tools that you can offer your child to help them become friends with spelling and literacy?
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged, is a definitive resource and can be used when a child gets older and deeply into the process of being a wordsmith, but before that time there are ways, which caregivers can continue to spark the interest and provide great entertainment.
First and foremost in promoting a love of language, is reading. When books are read to a child, they not only serve as an educational and entertaining process, but they foster quality one-on-one time.
In addition to books, there are television programs that you can share with the children in your life, such as PBS KIDS, Super Why! for the pre-school set and Reading Rainbow, which is perfect for ages four through eight.
Online sites, such as Reading Rockets, is also an excellent resource as it offers adult strategies, along with activities and even lessons to help children with spelling and reading.
Products such as, Spelling Bee: Thnkmap’s Visual Thesaurus is ideal and fun for older children, plus you might discover that the whole family will enjoy using this interesting approach to finding words.
Last, but certainly not least, one of the most unique and primarily word-of-mouth promoted games, Bananagrams has taken the country by storm, and now it’s gone global with editions in Spain and Norway, with many other countries to follow.
As a word formation game, it is slightly similar to Scrabble but it is fast-paced, portable and almost addictive as you can play in groups or solo. The game has simple rules and is very affordable.
Bannagrams was invented by the Nathanson Family: Sandy, Rena, Aaron, Abe, and Ava, and at barely two years since creation, it has been honored by the Toy Industry Association as the 2009 Game of the Year – Best Game.
Don’t forget to watch the advancing rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee beginning on-line at ESPN360.com on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, and the semi-finals, which start on Thursday, May 29, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. on ESPN television.
ABC television will offer the final rounds later that evening at 8:00 p.m. ET.
If you enjoyed this article, you may want to read:
The Children’s Book Choice Awards have been announced
Parents and educators can download free resources for Healthy Habits for a Lifetime
Comments