Alabama Spelling Bee

• Individual Eligibility
• Enrollment
• Calendar
• Spell It! Study Guide
• Rules for Local Spelling Bees
• Documents & Forms
• Past Winners

Enrollment Instructions

Enrollment with Scripps National Bee is required for a school and its students to participate in the Alabama Spelling Bee.

After a school registers with Scripps, the activities with the Alabama Spelling Bee will proceed as usual.

A calendar, winner forms, county coordinator list, and other important details are located on this website. Since all the information is now online, coordinators will not receive an Alabama Spelling Bee handbook in the mail.

The Bee's official student study guide, 2009 Spell It!, now appears free on www.myspellit.com with these features:

1. interactive format with links to Merriam-Webster definitions and pronunciations
2. challenge words for advanced spellers
3. activities to promote a deeper understanding of the English language
4. printable study lists

Public, Private, and Parochial Schools

To participate in the 2008/2009 spelling bee program, a school - or a benefactor on behalf of your school - must enroll through www.spellingbee.com by November 17, 2008, and pay Scripps the enrollment fee of $99. After enrolling with Scripps you will be given the option to pay by credit card or check. Please follow the instructions from Scripps on how to submit your form of payment. The school spelling bee coordinator will then receive log-in information and password for an online copy of the 2009 School Pronouncer Guide, plus three grade-specific levels of the new Classroom Pronouncer Guide. County Coordinators will receive a new County Pronouncer Guide from the Alabama Spelling Bee office at no charge. (The student study booklets are now offered free to all at www.myspellit.com.)

Home Schools

To participate in the 2008/2009 Alabama spelling bee program, home school students must enroll with Scripps. Home school families whose cover schools are comprised of less than 10 families may register individually with Scripps by paying a $10 fee per family. Larger home school associations (with more than 10 families) may register all their home school students as an association by paying a $99 fee. After enrolling with Scripps you will be given the option to pay by credit card or check. Please follow the instructions from Scripps on how to submit your form of payment. Home school students and/or home school associations should enroll through www.spellingbee.com by November 17.

If a homeschool family is part of an association or support group, that association or support group must enroll in the bee and pay the $99 fee. If a homeschool family is NOT part of ANY association or support group, they then can call 513-977-3040 and enroll via the phone for $10.

If there are concerns about payment of the $99 materials and enrollment fee, you may consider recouping the fee by asking parents of student participants to pay a nominal entry fee of $2-5 or asking your PTA/PTO organization to sponsor your school. Alternatively, a business community organization or a concerned parent may sponsor a school.