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Words Words Words!

by Theresa Carpine3/5/2009 10:54:07 AM

The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar celebrates National Grammar Day on March 4, 2009, encouraging speakers and writers to pay extra attention to the standard use of English grammar and spelling. To pass on an appreciation of words, check out some fun stories and games that all have to do with WORDS!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Stretch your brain on a crossword puzzle!

If you love musicals and spelling (who doesn’t?), you’re in luck! You can check out this Tony Award-winning musical comedy at the Mount Baker Theatre in May 2009. The production tells the story of six quirky kids (played by adult actors) competing in a local spelling bee. The musical numbers showcase the eccentricities of the kids—“My Friend, the Dictionary,” “Why We Like Spelling,” and “I Speak Six Languages,” just to name a few—as tension rises to see who will come out as the top speller. Contact the Mount Baker Theatre at (360) 734-6080 for tickets.

Spellbound

The characters in the aforementioned musical might seem a bit out there, but take in a viewing of this 2002 documentary film to learn that these kinds of kids are real. In 1999, filmmakers followed a disperse group of eight tween and teen spellers from across the country on their journey to the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee Championship in Washington D.C. A bit slow paced, it might not be the most engaging movie for kids themselves, but grown-ups will definitely find the stories about the spellers (and their parents) an interesting tale. Want more words? Check out Wordplay and Word Wars for more documentaries about wordy subculture.

SCRABBLE JUNIOR

The game of SCRABBLE was first dreamed up during the Great Depression when an out-of-work architect, Alfred Mosher Butts, decided to create a game that combined vocabulary skills with an element of chance. Today, the National SCRABBLE Association organizes clubs and tournaments across the country, as well as a National SCRABBLE Championship. A great place to start for kids is SCRABBLE JUNIOR for ages 5 to 8. The game board is two-sided so early spellers can match pictures words with letter tiles, and older players can turn the board over for traditional play.

A Note About the Author: Theresa Carpine

A Bellingham Online Journalist, Theresa Carpine graduated from WWU with a BA in English Literature. She enjoys yoga, listening to music, riding her bike in downtown Bellingham, and babysitting really cute kids.