Hi moms,
My 1st grader has just been selected for a spelling bee at his school. While he is excited, he is apprehensive about being on stage & facing an audience.. Aside fr telling him to imagine the audience in their underwear (lol he is not buying that!) what other encouragements can I give him? He is fine when practising in front of his dad & I but of course it's not the same.
Also, to moms that have had kids in spelling bees, how do you practice? Being that he is only in 1st Grade, I don't want to be overzealous in asking him to spell every single thing. He has the Dolch word list to practice on.
Thanks for your help!
Thank you mamas for your responses! & my son says thank you too! I let him read (he is reading at several upper grade levels) all of what you said & he has a big smile on his face & told me he's not so scared anymore..:)
I asked his teacher if there was a spelling bee club & she said no so we'll just do it on our own & I've looked into spellingcity.com. Many thanks again!
A spelling bee in the first grade...Wow that's really cool. It is all for fun whether he wins or not. It is a great opportunity and just think he was chosen to do the spelling bee because he is already that good.
Remove any type of competition. Don't even mention there will be a winner. Remind him to just do his best and keep breathing.
I was a spelling bee winner throughout elementary school and I was also extremely shy. What I remember working for me was to focus strictly on the person asking me the question. If he's positioned so he must look at the audience, tell him to look over their heads at the back wall.
Let him know I still won our grade level spelling bee every year despite terrible stage fright. :) It is possible.
Tell him he needs to enjoy this adventure! Everybody gets a little nervous at first, but once the spelling words start, his job is to pay attention to *them*.
The audience is on his side (especially the first graders, I imagine), and he can be confident that they're happy he's doing this. If he still has butterflies, not to worry; all he has to do is make them fly in formation, not get rid of them for good.
What kind of games can he play as he practices words? See if it can be fun. Let him know that you're proud of him however far he progresses. Just getting used to being on a stage is quite an accomplishment.
My son just finished his first spelling bee. He was very nervous and didn't want to get up in front of others. His teacher made all the kids in the spelling bee do a spelling club after school every Tuesday and practice. We did zero practicing at home. His teacher did not let him get out of it...she said everyone has to give it a try who made it. So...he did it and although he didn't win or anything he said it was fun. I just told him that it is amazing he made the spelling bee in the first place and I am proud of him. I told him to try to have fun and it's a great experience. In the end he did really enjoy it.
Usually, well at least at my kids' school, the Spelling Bee kids, as a GROUP... will practice, and in front of others, or in front of the grade level etc. so that the contestant gets used to being in front of many people.
Congrats!
Why don't you, talk to his Teacher and ask her/him, about their "routine" for this. I mean, since he represents the Grade Level (I assume), wouldn't there be some sort of 'Coach' or teacher who works with the 'contestant' to get him/her ready?
That's what they do at my kids' school.
Go to spellingcity.com to enter the words in batch mode, then he can practice on his own (they say it verbally and he has to spell it).
My dd started crying at her spelling bee because she was so nervous but she got over it and made it a long way through before missing a word...they just have to get used to it. Let him know that almost everybody gets a word wrong....that's why there's only one winner!
Congratulations! That's awesome that your child has been selected, and he's a first grader! I think what might help him with stage fright is to thoroughly go over the words so he is very confident in his abilities. Maybe have him do it in front of a small group of his friends at first, then when it really happens, tell him to look straight ahead and not at the audience. I remember getting up in front of my classmates during English and my mouth would get so dry! Still I don't think I could do it. Maybe it was because I was too me-focused and how I looked or sounded. I hope he does well! Blessings!!!
If you and dad can be in the audience (in the front), tell him to focus on you two just like in practice.
Hi. I was in a spelling bee in 6th grade as a child...so i will try to be of some help...
1. tell him you love him and are proud of him no matter what happens.
2. tell him to do his best and to have fun.
3. after...tell him you love and are proud of him.
4. after...ask if he had fun.
5. after...if he wins...tell him to go up to the others and say he enjoyed...if he loses, tell him to congratulate the winner.
as for preparing...at such a young age...i would not practice more than 15 minutes a day....and just read alot...I would not want my child to be stressed out so young i think.
hope the above helps.
good luck.
