Springfield fifth-grader earns place at 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee in DC
On a whim, Springfield fifth-grader Tyler Tang signed up for his first spelling bee in February.
He won the contest at Summit Preparatory School of Southwest Missouri, where he is enrolled, and was also the last speller left standing at the regional bee that followed in Rolla.
The 10-year-old hopes to keep the improbable streak alive when he travels to Washington, D.C. in late May, for the 95th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he will spell against more than 200 students. The competition is nationally televised.
"I want to win," he said, explaining his approach is all about strategy.
"If you go there going for second (place) you are probably going to get even lower than second but if you go for first (place), you'll at least get probably Top 10 — if you try hard."
Tang, who has spent his entire elementary career at the private Springfield school, is a good student who gravitates toward any STEM-related subject or lesson.
Until the school bee Feb. 8, he was not a competitive speller. His parents saw the notice and suggested he give it a try. He thought it might be fun.
"I don't think they expected me to go all the way to nationals," he said.
At that first bee, spelling against classmates, Tang admitted he felt nervous.
"It was fun for me. On the inside, I was trying to not shake because it was stressful, too," he said. "Stress adds a lot because if you're stressed then you might forget something or spell it wrong."
He spelled each word correctly, winning on the final word "oftentimes."
Tang said he learned through swimming and playing tennis, golf and chess that it's important to relax and focus.
"I often do tennis tournaments. Well, I used to," Tang said, motioning to his right arm in a cast. "And that has a lot of stress, too. But since I've been doing those tournaments, the spelling bee is less stressful now."
Fourth-grade teacher Shelly Pollard, sponsor of the school spelling bee, said if Tang felt nervous, he did not show it.
"He is calm, cool, collected, not rattled in the least in the school bee," she said. "I was so impressed in the regional bee that he just held his own and did a wonderful job."
Pollard helped Tang study word lists before the regional bee in Rolla. Tang said he wasn't sure what to expect at the contest.
"I didn't feel as confident at first but once it got down to three people, I felt better," Tang recalled. "With three people it's either you win first, second or third."
Tang won the match on the word "lexicon" and assumed, incorrectly, that the next step was a state bee. Instead, he found out he'd earned a berth to the national bee.
"I was about to cry because I was so happy," he said.
This year, the Scripps-qualifying regional bees in Missouri were in Columbia, Independence, Peculiar, Poplar Bluff, Rolla, St. Joseph, and St. Louis.
The word pronouncer for the regional bee, a former national spelling bee competitor, has been prepping Tang over Zoom.
Asked how else he is preparing, Tang said he tries to memorize up to three dozen words each day and learn definitions and word origins on the vocabulary.com website.
Tang, whose parents were born in China, speaks English and Chinese. He is learning Spanish in school.
"I just feel really good about the words I study the most," Tang said this week. "Either it's hard and I eventually get it or it's easy and I get it easily."
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At the end of May, Tang and his parents, Sam and Angela, will go to Washington, D.C. for the national spelling bee. He is looking forward to all the activities associated with "Bee Week," including stops at the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial.
He said competitors receive a book so they can get the autographs of other participants and the "spell-ebrities," including past winners and official spelling bee pronouncers including Jacques Bailly.
Tang's quick rise from local bee to a spot in the national competition is more remarkable because this is the first year that the Summit Prep has hosted a Scripps-affiliated spelling bee.
Pre-pandemic, the school participated in the LAD Fair spelling bee but recently made the switch.
"The kids are really excited for him and it's definitely you hear them talking about the spelling bee. There is more interest," Pollard said.
"He is a very enthusiastic learner and I think you can tell that from talking to him. He is a joy to be around and it is going to be wonderful to watch him represent us in the bee."
Amy Maas, admissions and communications director at the Summit Prep, said the school is planning a watch party and t-shirts.
"We will be cheering from Springfield," she said.
Tang said win or lose, he has been bitten by the spelling bug. If he doesn't win before aging out of the competition, he plans to use whatever he learns to give his younger brothers an edge.
"I'm just never going to stop doing spelling bee," he said. "Even once I'm past eighth grade or ninth grade, I want to help with something, and help my brothers do well."
Claudette Riley covers education at the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: SGF fifth-grader headed to DC for 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee
