Suggestions for Hosting a Spelling Bee:

1.  In your school auditorium set up a podium and a microphone for your pronouncer.  You need 30 to 40 chairs for the spellers and a floor microphone for them.  Set up a table and chairs for dictionary judges (adults or good students).    Get a copy of Webster's Third New International Dictionary.  This unabridged dictionary is the official dictionary for all spelling bees, local, state, and national.  The newest edition is 2002.  Recently many schools opt to allow only those questions from spellers that can be answered with information on the pronouncer's list, in which case a dictionary is not necessary.

2.  Find or make 30 to 40 cards (numbered from 1 on up) with strings for the contestants.  Each school is allowed 10 spellers if three or four schools are participating, or 15 spellers if two schools are involved.  Give the teacher from each school alternating numbers when they arrive. 

3.  One week before the spelling bee you will receive copies of the word list.  Give a copy to your pronouncer so that they can review the words ahead of time.  Give the other copies to your judges when the bee is about to start.  At the end of the spelling bee give the judges' copies to the visiting teachers to file or use in their buidings for later practice.

4.  Get someone to be the pronouncer.  Another teacher, an administrator, a parent, or a former teacher make good pronouncers. 

5.  (Optional)  Get a tape recorder to replay a speller's letters if there is any question as to whether they misspelled a word.  If you don't have a tape, you should ask the teachers in attendance and your dictionary judges to listen carefully to each speller to help the pronouncer determine which words have been misspelled.

6.  Provide refreshments for the visiting students and teacher.  This is a good opportunity for the students from the various schools to socialize.

7.  Have fun.

Suggestions for Attending a Spelling Bee:

1.  Ten spellers from each school participate (or 15 if there are only two schools) in the spelling competition.  You may bring your entire class to the bee if you wish but please be responsible for their good behavior if they are just part of the audience.  Some teachers have their extra students make word lists from the bee as it goes along so that they have something to do.

2.  Let your host know a week in advance the total number of people you are bringing so that they can arrange refreshments.

3.  Have fun.