Second-grade competes in first ever Arabic Spelling Bee

Photo by Ahlam Almalhi

Pleasant View School second-graders competed in the school’s first Arabic Spelling Bee on Thursday, Dec. 19.

The spelling bee was a trial run to gauge whether students would be able to prepare and compete. And Arabic teacher Ahlam Almalhi said the competition was a success.

Almalhi worked with her students for about a month, practicing 10 minutes every day. Students were given worksheets to practice with at home.

“It was very successful,” Almalhi said. “The parents were so happy about it. The kids were extremely happy and excited because it was the first time for everyone.”

In the competition, students had to spell out and define the words given to them. Almalhi selected 100 words ranging from easy to difficult.

Almalhi judged the spelling bee and announced three winners at the end. The other students received participation certificates.

“As you know, Arabic is really hard for everyone as a second language,” Almalhi said. “I wanted to show them that it's not that hard. And after this competition, the kids pay more attention in the class. It adds an excitement to learning the language.”

With the success of the first competition, the school is planning to host a school-wide competition next year.