Home Spelling
30
May
I’m curious for some opinions. Today the Scripps National Spelling Bee is being aired live on ESPN. I’d be happy to argue with someone about whether competitive spelling is a sport, deserving of coverage on ESPN, but I’m looking for a different opinion.
A few years ago I recall hearing about how either the champion or several of the runners-up were home schooled. And in one of the last few years, 5 of the top 10 finalists were home schooled. (I’d have more data, but Scripps seems to want to guard previous Bee data like it’s the Dharma Project.)
In the United States, 1.7 percent of children are home schooled.
Obviously their representation at the highest level of spelling is way out of proportion.
To what would you attribute this?
1. Natalie | May 30th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Umm, home schooling parents are generally better at spelling and therefore their children are too?
Oh, are you looking for a more thoughtful answer?
In that case, I’ve got nuthin’.
(And *ahem*, I came here hoping I could find your filch.)
2. Jack | May 31st, 2008 at 6:22 am
lol - Y’know, I was raging on that filch, burning through bullet point after bullet point, then I realized my audience is mostly (if not all) female, and thought I might take some time to consider each point again before hitting publish. ‘Cause I know I’d be standing alone to defend myself if those items rubbed people the wrong way.
So the filch will happen. Just uh, not yesterday.
3. Jack | May 31st, 2008 at 6:27 am
Oh, and for the few minutes I watched the Bee-
Shamateurism? Pretending to be am amateur when you’re getting paid behind the scenes? Serious? Okay, how ’bout bullshitemitis? Chainyankify? Legpullongus?