That kids' spelling programme

[JoolsToo]

hard spell - yes what about it mystery person?

Aha - one of those rogue blank threads! - it was me! (Tech, when I sent it it came back blank with "java.sql.SQLException: Duplicate key or integrity constraint violation, message from server: "Duplicate entry '1053950' for key 1" at the top...)

Anyway - this is my post (which is mine and belongs to me, ahem, etc) :

Can't remember what it's called - thought there was a thread already but apparently not. Anyway what a really nasty programme this is - hadn't seen it before - I am disgusted at the presentation and the way they are set up for national humiliation - surely they could at least show the corrections without the camera being on the kid all the time?

OK, they didn't have to go in for it, but I wonder if they knew it was going to be like this?

Wish the woman saying the words they have to spell could actually pronounce some of the words properly.

That poor boy yesterday was so flumaxed when asked to spell Challow - that's how the womaan had pronounced Cello!

JanH - both DH and I have commented on how cruel it seems. Little lad in tears tonight, and they then showed him again later (still upset) which was so not needed.

I hate the way they "eliminate" them.

I saw it for the first time tonight, and felt so sorry for them, esp the poor boy that broke down and cried. Is it just me, or did some children have easier words than others?

Yes, I am sure they did. Some of the words I have never even heard of!

These comps are HUGE in the states apparently - didnt watch it as i knew what it would be like

I felt so badly for that poor boy tonight

You should all rent the Dvd of Spellbound - about a national spelling bee, riveting viewing.

enid - i saw that....

gurkha, FFS? malarkey? canneloni?

I think they should stick to difficult English words - plenty to chew on there, all those words with suspect double letters. Even psalm was a bit iffy in this day and age. I think the girl who spelt Dalmatian right should get a special prize!

Some of yesterday's words were things like medical terminology. I think they should at least be words kids of that age might have come across.

PS - anyone else feeling really paranoid on this thread about their own spelling in their post? I keep double checking!

I thought that too Janh.

"OK, so you're a really bright 12 yr-old, who's beaten 10,000 others to get a place on this show, but because you have just mis-spelled an extremely unusual and irregular word, that many adults have never even heard of, YOU ARE A FAILURE!"

Yuck! Thoroughly unpleasant.

I disagree - some of todays children are prolific readers and have wide vocabularies.

Some of them are doing very well - they are a credit to themselves and the teaching profession.

Of course they get upset when they don't do as well as they hoped - don't we all - its a lesson in life.

As a teacher (and a as a good speller as a child) I think it is awful

I just think that there are better ways of showing how good they are than humiliatating them on TV, just for making a mistake.

These types of shows are all very well for adults, but some of these kids are only 11.