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Show SchooLrx and Home 7 by Dr. Daryl J. McCorty Executive Secretory Utoh Education Association Spelling bees If your sixth-grader bounces into the house and asks to spell the word "accommodations," "ac-commodations," don't get the idea tha the child is writing early for motel rooms for the summer vacation. Actually, your little student is probably boning up for the statewide spelling bee. ' Most school districts in the state are participating. . First, individual schools will hold spelling bees. Then representatives of each school will compete in district contests. Next, winners from the district spelling bees will gather at Clayton Intermediate School in Salt Lake City on April 10 for the state competition. The winner will represent Utah in the National Spelling Bee at Washington, June 1-5. That youngster's picture will be in the newspaper, on TV and radio newscasters will trumpet the name of the victor across the land. But what about all the thousands of other Utah boys and girls who competed com-peted in the local spelling bees? What will they get out of all the effort and study they put into the spelling bee? The idea is that they'll be better spellers. Those who devised the spelling bee wanted to recognize individual students' improvement in spelling not just the winners. So certificates that recognize outstanding achievement in spelling improvement are available to teachers for awards to students who really work at it. Spelling is one area where a parent can be a tremendous help to the student. Often, if a mother or father will call a list of words for a child to spell for two or three times and discuss the words' meanings, the child will master every one of the words. That means the students will be able to spell the word correctly on a written test, in a spelling bee, or in the next letter that he or she writes to Aur.t Nadine. Helping a child ith spelling is one of the most satisfying times a parent can have. You may see more improvement in 15 minutes than any other teaching effort you make |