Online Spelling Course for the Next Generation of Spellers
Registration Closed
ABOUT THE COURSE
Fast Track explores spelling at an assortment of levels, giving spellers a strong foundation on which to build or greatly expand their skills. The format of the course is similar to our other coaching options but offers a smorgasbord of words in a short period. This course provides a realistic view of our Personal Spelling Coaching (PSC), a one-on-one program with a coach and speller working at the pace and skill level of the student.
POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS
Ideal candidates for Fast Track include:
- Spellers who have learned the Class/School list and studied spelling well into the Words of the Champions
- Spellers who have attended higher-level bees or participated in the National Spelling Bee (NSB) and want to improve their chances for advancing higher up the ladder
- Skilled spellers who want to test the water of our PSC program to determine if that would be the best next step
This class is more advanced than our Beginning Track with nearly twice as many words to cover in each assignment.
- Fast Track to Spelling consists of 5 online, weekly sessions, and tuition is $1,300.
- The first class will be 1 hour, and all other classes will be 45 minutes.
- Email feedback after each class to cover specific areas for each speller and general information pertinent to the group.
- Each speller will also have a scheduled 15-minute session with Mrs. Horton to assess their progress and determine if additional study lists should be assigned.
DATES - TBD (3:00 PM Central; 2:00 PM Mountain; and 1:00 PM Pacific)
REQUIRED MATERIALS
- A computer with a keyboard, speakers, and Internet access for eMentor study and online sessions
- A microphone and web camera, if possible, for live sessions via Skype
- A subscription to the online Merriam Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
- Access to Google for using Google Sheets
- A copy of Hexco's Spelling Rules Book (purchased separately for $79 at https://www.hexco.com/spelling-rules-book/)
ASSIGNMENTS
Students are required to complete weekly assignments including Latin and Greek roots, rules for language families along with study lists, and additional lists of interesting and tricky words. Key aspects of spelling will be explored, and quizzing sessions called "Spell Bees" will incorporate samplings of all assignments.
All word lists will be assigned in our Internet-based eMentor application. These are all exclusive lists available only to spellers in our coaching program. The word lists assigned during the Fast Track course will remain available to your speller for as long as they remain in one of our coaching programs. Each eMentor provides audio pronunciations that can be repeated along with a view on screen of phonetic pronunciation(s), definitions, parts of speech, and languages of origin.
CLASS format
The Spell Bees that make up the group coaching/quizzing sessions will be held in a round-robin format where each speller fields a word while all others enter their attempt in their own online notebook. Thus, every speller spells every word in the online sessions.
- Words given during quizzing will include some from each part of the assignment.
- Words that enable relations to roots, specific languages, or more difficult words will be covered.
- Some words that have not been assigned will be asked so spellers can practice fielding unknown words.
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MEET THE COACH
Michelle Horton is our original coach who assisted in developing the Spelling Coaching Program with Linda Tarrant. She has been coaching students using our system since 2008. She had been writing and editing Hexco products for several years before that. Prior to working with Hexco, Michelle coached all three of her children using Hexco products, and they together spelled at the National Bee a total of seven years. Michelle’s youngest, Mary, ultimately tied for fifth place at the NSB in her final attempt, and Jonathan, her oldest speller garnered the sixth place win. Michelle is an expert grammarian who holds a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education with a specialization in Chemistry. As head coach, she has developed instructions for approaching the spelling of words in various language families beyond what is in Hexco's Spelling Rules Book and has added multiple lists for many language families and beyond. Currently, Michelle is expanding the Personal Spelling Coach Program to include new areas for mastery by working with students in our coaching programs and in a new, unique approach to coaching very young spellers in our Beginning Track program. Her positive attitude helps build excellent rapport with students as she continues to receive stellar reviews from customers who have had the opportunity to benefit from her coaching, many of whom have made it to the higher rungs of the National Spelling Bee.
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