For the Spelling Bee, 472k Words May Not Be Enough

Linda Tarrant, one of the nation’s foremost spelling coaches, said her company’s programs run at least eight weeks, with one hour of coaching each week by Skype or phone. “We teach vocabulary skills,” said Ms. Tarrant, who leads Hexco, a Texas-based company, and coached her three children in spelling. Still, some people fear that the financial costs associated with spelling bees — travel expenses that can climb into the thousands of dollars and coaching bills that can run well into five figures — may be changing the character of the competitions.

Source: www.nytimes.com