Akeelah and the Bee

Yesterday afternoon, I took Shayna and three other HSing friends to an early afternoon movie of Akeelah and the Bee. My understanding is that this is Starbucks Entertainment's first movie. Either way, we had four children ages 6 - 10 inspired to START PREPARING for next years spelling bee.

This is an inspirational movie starting Keke Palmer (Akeelah) . This precocious eleven-year-old girl, Akeelah Anderson, from south Los Angeles, is discovered to have a talent for words. In spite of the objections of her mother Wanda, Akeelah enters a spelling contest. Her gift takes her to compete in the National Spelling Bee, the most famous competition of its kind in the world. On the way, she is helped by a forthright, mysterious teacher, Dr. Larabee, and other members of her community.

What a GREAT movie. It is the type of movie you can be SAFE bringing your children to. Although there is some language that Shayna is forbidden to use, it was used in proper context to show / share what Akeelah's life was in Southern LA.

Shayna and her friends are all planning on starting to practice for the Scripts National Spelling Bee. They realize that many homeschoolers participate in the Bee and in the past there have been homeschoolers who have won the bee.

The 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee will be happening on May 31 and June 1st. ESPN will show the earlier rounds of competition. The final rounds of competition will be broadcasted on Thursday, June 1st on ABC from 8 pm - 10 pm.