Yes, I know bes is not a word. I did my research. But it works in the heading because… well, c’mon dear reader, there’s a wordsmash for the taking. And I refuse to not take it.
Now on to the article.
Pandemic baby Collins Spelling Bee, in just five years, has transformed into one of the most anticipated spelling competitions for students in classes 6 to 8, growing both in participation and prestige. What began with a desire to ignite the joy of language amongst students across the country has now become an annual calendar feature with rigorous online prelims and semi-finals, leading up to a live national final. The students’ dedication, the heightened level of competition, and the ever-increasing number of participants reflect the success of this incredible journey. As the event returns year after year, it’s clear that it has become a platform not just for spelling mastery but for cultivating academic excellence. And this is why we see callers, emailers, and DM-sliders with queries of all kinds soon after Indian schools resume after the summer break.
The competition’s structure, including online rounds and a thrilling offline finale, ensures accessibility and excitement for participants across the country. Through this growth, the Collins Spelling Bee has proven itself as a vital educational milestone, fostering a deeper love for language and spelling. It’s an honour for me, as a word setter, judge and announcer, to witness the evolution of young minds tackling complex words with impressive precision.
Each year, we push the boundaries of what these students can achieve. The words get harder, the competition gets more challenging, but the spirit of learning and achievement remains unchanged. It’s truly inspiring to watch these young students rise to the challenge, demonstrating not just spelling skills but also quick-thinking and determination. From an announcer’s perspective, the energy during the live finals is palpable – each correctly spelt word brings a sigh of relief from the competitors and a wave of excitement from supporters in the audience
As a word setter, I can proudly say that the quality of participants has improved drastically. The students now approach the competition with a level of preparation and strategy that has only intensified over the years. The quality of queries they have and the level of sophistication in their approach reflects the growing acceptance of the competition and, more importantly, of the spelling and language mastery in academic excellence. The highlight of 2024 was also (for me) the most heartwarming moment of the competition till now – when Johan George Philip from Kerala, after two years of near misses, finally won the event in his final attempt, proving that perseverance truly pays off.
It’s exciting to think about what the future holds for the Collins Spelling Bee and how much further it can push the boundaries of spelling competitions across India. The growth has not just been in the numbers but delightfully, in the caliber of participants too, making it a pinnacle of national level literary excellence for students of middle school.