Spelling bees are an important activity for your children to learn new words, better grammar, and make lots of friends. Here is the inspiring story of 14-year-old Zaila Avant-Garde from Harvey, Louisiana, the national spelling bee champion who, in July, 2021, made history. She was the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in its 70-year history. Along with the beautiful trophy and accolades came a prize of $50,000!
Zaila was home-schooled and blocked out 7 hours a day to study words. Her parents invested in her through spelling tutors and computer programs to help her learn words and spell better. But, that is not all she did. She also holds 3 Guinness Book of World Records: the most bounce juggles in one minute with 4 basketballs and the most basketball bounces in 30 seconds with 4 basketballs; and she ties the record for most basketballs dribbled at once.
When asked what the “coolest” part of the competition and her celebrity status was, Zaila said: “I became visible to a lot of young girls who are minorities, and they just saw me.” Yes, she has become a role model for many young minority boys and girls.
I have written before about the wonderful learning experience spelling bees are for children. In my blog post titled In Spelling Bees, All Children Are Winners! , I list 5 ways that children can benefit from learning new words. Please take a few minutes and read it. Your child may not be the next Zaila Avant-Garde but participating in a spelling bee will build a lot of memories and help them with their education.
To learn more, please visit:
https://time.com/6080654/zaila-avant-garde-spelling-bee-equality/