Posted on 03/13/2012 11:56:34 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 6-year-old U.S. girl will become the youngest contestant ever in the Scripps National Spelling Bee after winning a regional competition in Virginia.
Lori Anne Madison, of Woodbridge, Virginia, won the Prince William County spelling contest earlier this month, beating out 21 top elementary and middle school competitors. Her winning word: "vaquero," a word of Spanish origin meaning cowboy.
"My parents quiz me. I read lists and I have a really good memory," Madison, who is home-schooled, told Fox's WTTG-TV, a Washington-area station.
Madison was believed to be the youngest competitor ever, the Cincinnati-based National Spelling Bee said on Tuesday. Based on incomplete records, the previous youngest contestant was 8, it said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
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Yeah, for me it was the reading, too. In fact, I can't think how it could be any different. I think the constant exposure to written words is crucial. The kids who didn't "get" spelling probably didn't read much, either (or, at least, not as much as we did.)
Your baby was definitely good at those but he had a problem with the string theory my 12 month old was trying to teach him........... :)
That's what happens when you don't talk baby talk to your kids. Just talk to them as if they were adults and stretch them, and they will learn.
“No, but I can see them from my house.”
What?! You subjected your kid to a CAVITY SEARCH???!
LOL!
Big deal!:) When one of my sons was about 2, I could hold up a Matchbox NASCAR car and he could look at it and tell me the name of the driver. I’ve got a videa somewhere of him naming about 20 in a row.
At the end, my Mother in Law is heard to say “But can he count to ten?” at which point I said “who cares.”
Save the country, Home school your kids.
“Some government idiot will say she had an unfair advantage by being home schooled.”
You prejudiced ‘gainst idiots?
;-)
“At 53, I can find my ass with both hands.”
But, if you had been home schooled, you could do it in the dark.
” “gets out”” Is a common figure of speech around here.
My parents belonged to that school of thought. They tell me that at three I was speaking in full sentences, and carrying on full conversations with adults. By kindergarten I was reading at middle school level. That's good advice.
Same with our kids. They were like you.
Interesting thing is, my son who is 19 months behind his sister, was just learning to talk when she was really taking off with it. EVERYTHING she said, he (tried to) imitate.
By the time he was 2, he was speaking in complete, grammatically correct sentences. You could carry on a conversation with him. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, or rather heard it.
Both of them were reading by the time they were five. That kind of sealed the decision to homeschool for us.
I also noticed that my one daughter who loved to knit and crochet, learned at about five and boy was she ever good at it within a couple years.
I seriously doubt there are many adults around yet who give kids the benefit of the doubt in what they are really capable of. I’ve noticed that the younger kids learn something the quicker they become VERY proficient at it. It takes some time and patience to get them started young, but it is more than worth the time investment and if gives you some real quality time together.
it’s wonderful to see yet another brilliant madison from virginia. gives me hope for my kids.
Yah. I wasn’t homeschooled, but my mom was a teacher, and she stayed home with me and my sister until we were both in school. I was however way ahead of my classmates and spent most of my time in the library whenever I could.
she’s a little darling.....
the same reason why they think all athletes are stupid...most are not...or that most poor people are really good people and rich people are really bad people....
They are gifts from God.
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