Dubai: If your laptop-loving little one is quick to use spell-checks, it's time to get a reality check.
An ongoing spelling challenge organised by Sylvan Learning, a Dubai-based educational service provider, at the Arabian Centre has seen more than 200 kids from Grades 3 to 6 put to the test on their spelling skills.
And as it turns out, not all has been lost. "Twelve children who have qualified over the last two weekends will now compete in a grand Dubai challenge on December 22," said Maryam Bailey, Sylvan Learning Director.
The winners will walk away with attractive prizes while all participants will be handed certificates with a goodie bag.
In the two rounds so far, the students were given a series of words to spell with a time limit of 30 seconds for each word. Those who got any word wrong were disqualified. "Grade 4 students for instance were given words like anxious, beautiful, pioneer and cottage while Grade 5 students spelt works like equation, syllable, successful and constitution," said Jeffrey Smith, Sylvan Learning Director. "Research has proven that fun educational activities outside of school improve academic performance in the classroom."
The father of a Grade 5 student said, "In general, the culture of messaging and texting has taken a huge toll on our children's language and grammar. They hardly read books and are all the time on the computer or mobile phones where spell-checks, calculators and search engines do the thinking for them."
Omaima Al Rashid, mother of Raghad Ata Allah, a Grade 4 student who participated in the first round of the challenge, said parents have a huge responsibility in the current environment. "I closely monitor my daughter's activities. Thankfully, she reads a lot and is good at spelling."
Eight-year-old Mazoon Bin Masoud, who took part in the second round, said, "It is fun to play a game with spellings. You get better with words."
Meanwhile, the traditional Spelling Bee Championships are slated to open in Dubai in January 2012. The live spelling competitions will be open to children aged between 11 and 14 (Grades 6 to 9) and will entail both written and oral rounds. Students from all syllabi are eligible to participate. Eliminations will ensure that there will be only one grand winner. Championship awards include a scholarship for Dh25,000 for the winner, Dh10,000 for the first runner up and Dh5,000 for the second runner up, among other prizes like trophies, medals, laptops and cellphones.
