‘Why children must master spellings, participate in competitions’

The Executive Director of Yspot, an organization focused on developing and impacting children academically, Temitope Olukomogbon, has said mastering spellings and participating in Spelling Bee competitions cultivate strong communication skills, and boosts self-confidence and a lifelong love for learning in children. She stated this during the 8th Spelling Bee and Arts Creativity Contest for students […]

The Executive Director of Yspot, an organization focused on developing and impacting children academically, Temitope Olukomogbon, has said mastering spellings and participating in Spelling Bee competitions cultivate strong communication skills, and boosts self-confidence and a lifelong love for learning in children.

She stated this during the 8th Spelling Bee and Arts Creativity Contest for students aged 8-10 years from Nigeria, Liberia and the United Kingdom held virtually.

The competition has Benyaan Shuaibu from Nigeria emerging as the winner with a cash prize of N50,000 while Joan Ayimom Abimiku also from Nigeria and  Jemimah Obadiah from the United Kingdom emerged second and third respectively with a cash prize of N30,000 and N20,000.

Olukomogbon said the annual spelling bee is designed to build, improve and develop children’s confidence, communication and public speaking skills, presentation and cognitive skills as well as the ability to thrive under pressure and shape their attitudes for life.

“The motivation for organizing this competition up until this 8th year is the passion for education and the need to create a platform for young minds to shine and also ignite their love for learning.

“The competition is not just an event but a beacon of inspiration for aspiring learners and a celebration of the potential within each child,” she said.

While noting that the Spelling Bee theme was “Cities and Countries in Africa” to expose the kids to locations in Africa, she encouraged more parents to enroll their children and wards in the next edition of Yspot Smart Minds spelling bee competition.

“We believe children are the leaders of tomorrow, therefore, having the right foundation is paramount. It is said that an individual cannot do better than the knowledge he has. We believe the more you know, the greater your chances at excelling in life. Hence, we have a passion to help children become outstanding adults in the future,” she said.

Olukomogbon noted that the Spelling Bee and Arts Creativity Contest was initially organized for public primary schools in Abuja; in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and the Ministry of Education in the FCT, Nigeria.

She said more than 155 pupils across 35 public schools in the FCT have participated in contests, which has attracted commendation from UBEB.