Busy Bees

Posts:

You Gotta Live

2/12/26

Dear Speller,

Imagine standing on stage at a big bee. You feel stiff and light headed. You inhale right before the pronouncer gives you your word. You cannot think properly. You inhale again. Again. Again. You cannot even hear the pronouncer as they give you your word. Embarrassed, you try to think back to what the pronouncer just said, afraid to ask them to repeat the word. Time is ticking. Think, think, think! RRRIIIINNNNGGG!!

Spelling bees are incredibly nerve-wracking, and while your nerves may not be this severe, you can seriously benefit from doing something fun and relaxing the night before the event. As a former speller myself, I have spent five years figuring out what works best, and personally, I benefit most from spending the majority of the day leading up to a spelling bee studying, and then sitting down and watching a movie (not a spelling bee movie). This really helps me to relax and get into the mindset of the upcoming event.

I know this may feel counterproductive, and you may be thinking that instead of relaxing, you should spend the whole evening studying. Let me just tell you that cramming is never good, and will only stress you out more.

Perhaps watching a movie is not the best option for you, but I encourage you to find what makes you feel the most relaxed (maybe reading, drawing, playing an instrument, or something else), and just try it out the night before your next spelling bee. You never know, it could really improve your performance!

As Ever Yours,

Juliette Anderson

P.S. Study strategy of the week: Write a single-paragraph story with at least ten words from your study lists!

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Bee Best Friends

2/6/26

Dear Speller,

Studying for a spelling bee is hard. It takes time, a lot of time, most of your time. When you are spending the majority of your time studying for a spelling bee, you might as well make it enjoyable for yourself!

Throughout your studies, you are going to get to know each word pretty well, almost as well as kids your age know their friends. To maximize the fun you have while studying, you should try to find your best friends. In other words, find four or five words that stand out to you, and make you laugh; words that you will never forget. 

For me, those words are Makgadikgadi Pans, Llullaillaco, Ouagadougou, and agathokakological. Everyone has their own favorite words, and it is time for you to find yours.

Seriously, if you find words that catch your eye, you will soon fall in love with these words, and have fun memorizing their definitions and learning to spell them as quickly as possible! Who doesn’t want to have fun studying words? The way I see it, the more fun you have, the more you learn!

As Ever Yours,

Juliette Anderson,

P.S. Strategy of the week: find at least two words that you absolutely love!

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Simply Necessary

1/29/26

Dear Speller,

Sometimes you probably feel stressed out. I get it. Harder words especially, may give you anxiety. I vividly remember waking up one morning in a panic a few weeks before the state spelling bee. I was overcome with fear that I may forget how to spell “hordeolum.” 

No matter how stressed you feel about these words, you still need to remember to review the easier words. I know what you are thinking, Seriously Juliette! The three bee words are so hard, and I need to spend my time focusing on them, but instead you are telling me to review the most boring words on the list! I know this sounds weird, but hear me out. When a spelling bee begins, the competition will start with the easiest words, and gradually get harder and harder. If you don’t know some of the easier words, then you might not even get a chance to showcase your knowledge of the harder words! 

While this is definitely important, I am in no way saying that you shouldn’t study the hardest words on the list. You should, and you should make them your priority, while also remembering the easy words, as they are just as important.

I remember when I would review my study list each day with my mom, and we would always begin with words such as “sky,” “wow,” and “hug.” It was super annoying, and I would practically groan out the letters, just waiting to get to my favorite words, such as “agathokakological.” Looking back however, I do not regret it one bit! It is always good to feel confident with the entire list, no matter how easy you think the words are.

As Ever Yours,

Juliette Anderson 

P.S. Strategy of the week: try to review five one-bee words daily!

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