Allie Winsor, an eighth grader at Holy Comforter ... but the first time I made it to the school spelling bee was in third grade," Allie said. The word that boosted her to nationals: blastogenesis ...

Some parents give up helping their children with spelling long before they get to spelling bee words like "psychagogic" (attractive) or "fewtrils" (things of little value). That may be especially ...