Q:  Does my child have to be a resident of Tennessee to participate?

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A:  Yes! Your child must be a homeschooled student residing in one of the Middle Tennessee or West Tennessee Counties (see list below) included in the Scripps Tennessee Titans Sponsorship Region* and registered with either their County LEA or a Church-related umbrella school (CRS).  Students attending public, private, parochial, charter or virtual schools are not eligible to participate in this Bee. Homeschooled residents of Williamson County, Tennessee have their own homeschool spelling bee and are encouraged to participate in that spelling bee.

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Q:  For what grade should I register my child?

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A:  Register at the same K-8 grade level that your child is currently enrolled in with the above organization.

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Q:  How do I log on to the Scripps www.spellingbee.com website as a teacher?

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A:  Even though as a homeschool parent, you are obviously your child’s teacher, you are not a "teacher” holding your own classroom or school bee according to Scripps guidelines. Only the Homeschool Spelling Bee Coordinator can access the secure areas of the Scripps website.  You may peruse the non-secure areas of the Scripps website for ideas and information.

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Q:  The Scripps www.spellingbee.com website says the deadline to register with them has already passed.  How do I register my child for the bee?

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A:   MTHEA registered to hold a school bee for homeschoolers before the Scripps deadline.  You just need to register your child/ren at the link on the Registration page of this website.

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Q:  My child is not yet in 4th grade but is an excellent speller.  Can s/he participate in this Bee?

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A:   Yes!  Although the Scripps National Spelling Bee is designed for 4th - 8th grade students, students as young as Kindergarten have participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.   You may enroll your younger student/s in this MTHEA Homeschool Spelling Bee, but please prepare him/her for competition with older students.  No allowances will be made for age or grade.  All of the words given at this Bee are provided by Scripps National Spelling Bee.  

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Q:  What time will be the bee finish?

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A:  There is no set ending time.  It all depends on how well the spellers continue to correctly spell the words given by the pronouncer. We would like to be finished by 4:00 pm, but please bring a snack for your speller/s in case they’re hungry during the break/s.  We would like for all spellers to stay until the end of the bee and participate in the awards presentation and group photos following the conclusion of the bee.

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Q:  Which words on the “School Spelling Bee Study List” will be asked of the students during the homeschool spelling bee?

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A:  Only the judges and pronouncer will have a list of which words will actually be used at the school level bee.  The “School Spelling Bee Study List” provided by Scripps begins with words appropriate for 1st graders and continues through 8th grade words and is the word list they suggest your student study for the (home) school bee.  You can assist your speller in learning as many of the words on the list as possible and/or supplement with your favorite spelling curriculum.  Make sure to include proper pronunciation and definition(s) as provided at http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/ during study.  Vocabulary questions may be asked at any level of the bee.

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Q:  What is the best way to study for the Spelling Bee?  

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A:   Although every child is different, Scripps National Spelling Bee study tips, information, and links can be found on the Resources page of this website.  Once your child has mastered the spelling words on the "School Spelling Bee Study List, the 1150 “Spell-It!” words would be the next to tackle.  You may choose to purchase the Scripps "Word Club" for your student to study online. Links to all these can be found on the Resources page of this website.  Some books that contain words from the study list for this year are listed on the Kindle Great Words Great Works Book List for each grade level and reading naturally enhances knowledge of spelling and vocabulary. Two movies typically enjoyed by spelling enthusiasts are "Akeelah and the Bee" and "Spellbound.”

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Q:  My homeschool student has already participated in a school-level bee this year, but didn't win.  Can s/he register for and participate in the Middle Tennessee Inclusive Homeschool Spelling Bee this year?

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A:  Absolutely not.  Scripps eligibility rules are very clear on this point, stating "once having been disqualified at any level of a sponsor's spelling bee program between June 2017 and April 2018, the speller remains disqualified for the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee program through another sponsor and/or enrollment in another school."

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Q:  I have a question not answered on this page or elsewhere on this website. Who can I contact?

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A:  Please email the bee coordinator at MTHEAspellingbee@gmail.com with your questions.

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* The Scripps Tennessee Region sponsored by the Tennessee Titans includes the following counties.  Homeschool students must be a resident of one of these Tennessee counties to be eligible for this Homeschool Spelling Bee:  

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Bedford
Cannon
Cheatham
Clay
Coffee
Davidson
Dekalb
Dickson
Dyer
Fayette
Franklin
Giles
Hardeman
Hardin
Haywood
Hickman
Houston
Humphreys
Jackson
Lake
Lauderdale
Lawrence
Lewis
Lincoln
Macon
Marshall
Maury
Montgomery

Moore
Obion
Overton
Robertson
Rutherford

Shelby
Smith
Stewart
Sumner
Tipton
Trousdale
Weakley
Williamson
Wilson

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