8th grader wins US spelling contest

with ``appoggiatura'' (melodic tone)


http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5049800,00.html

Ornithorynchus (the trade name for the Australian Platypus) was another word in the contest. I know that one because I am an Aussie, but "appoggiatura" beats the hell out of me. Bazza

Ornithorynchus (Platpus) links below.

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=ornithorynchus&num=20&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_en&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=images

He seems to be an allrounder, in other stuff, as well. Well done, mate. Bazza

 

I could've done appoggiatura but only because I do music and have had to use terms like that for the past two years. But yeah, oh my, what a brain he is!

 

geez, I thought my eight year old was bright for reading at a 5th grade level.
2nd place was an 11 year old, those are some brilliant kids.

 

There was a quote in there where the kid said he wanted to do "good." Pretty said, he knows more words than most adults and he uses good. I think his parents or whoever trained him more as a machine.. not really applying, just memorizing.

 

even memorizing, that's damned impressive, they said he was spelling so fast that at times only the judges were keeping up.
some kind of near photographic memory. I couldn't do it, I have to SEE a word to know if it's spelled right. lol (more of a visual thing than a memory trick with me)

 

I think you hit it right on the spot, photographic memory..not really skillful, just pure luck to be born with it.