School's 4-year-olds to compete in spelling bee

Four-year-olds at St. Paul's school in Haymarket will brave a bee this week -- a spelling bee, that is.

On Thursday and Friday, two classes of 20 students each will demonstrate what they have learned from junior kindergarten teachers Chris Powers and Justine Wald.

The teachers both use the A Beka curriculum which is based on traditional best practices, as opposed to theoretical, experimental approaches.

The educational approach also is geared towards use in Christian schools and is founded on Biblical principles.

It sounds serious, but both Powers and Wald believe in making learning fun through games, poetry, songs and interactive websites.

Said school Director Kathleen Katz, "Honestly, our teachers have made learning so much fun, and yet if one looked at student outcomes, one would think we have didactic classrooms employing teacher-centered pedagogical methods."

This, according to Katz, isn't true. "One 4-year old child told his mother, 'We aren't learning. We are just playing.'"

Jessica Gustafson, mother of Courtney Gustafson, said her daughter is very enthusiastic about learning to spell. Courtney also does not think of it as "learning," but as playing.

Courtney tries to spell everything, according to Jessica. "She is even attempting to spell words her older brother (age 7) is learning at school. And she is getting the words right by sounding them out."

Powers, who came up with the idea for the bee, said, "It is important that the children learn through play. We have them spelling with letter magnets, letter stamps, drawing on each other's back and drawing words in shaving cream. They think that spelling is just another game."

"We used portions of the movie Akeelah and the Bee so that children would understand what a spelling bee is and to get them excited about participating in one," she said.

The movie stars Keke Palmer who plays Akeelah Anderson, an 11-year-old girl in south Los Angeles. Anderson loves words and participates in a spelling bee. Much to Akeelah's surprise, she wins and moves to a national level bee.

Inspired by the film, after Easter break, the two classes began preparing in earnest for their own spelling bee by having practice sessions throughout April. Teachers also sent home practice sheets for parents to use with their children. The teachers encouraged parents to practice the words by making it a fun "car game."

The bee will include mostly three-letter words.

All the children participating will receive a blue ribbon and a certificate, and the entire school will be present to applaud.

"Everyone is looking forward to this fun game," Powers said, "and we (teachers) know that it will help build their confidence in spelling and reading."

"They are all winners, because at this age, all that matters is that they try," said Katz.