Staff writer
Alexandra Carlson has set her sights on state after grabbing her third consecutive win at Marion County Spelling Bee.
Her goal is to make it to the second round, a prize she didn’t get to reach for last year when state competition was canceled because of a pandemic.
The Marion fifth-grader already is checking out Scripp’s Howards Word Club app to sharpen her skills for a portion of the competition that will test her vocabulary.
Her mother, Julie Carlson, said Alexandra likes to read, which has developed her aptitude for words.
“The more kids read, the more words they are exposed to,” she said. “So I think a lot of it comes from that.”
Adventure books are a favorite, Alexandra said, particularly “Keeper of the Lost Cities” by Shannon Messenger.
But Alexandra says her parents have helped her a lot by quizzing her on words she will be tested over.
She admits she will battle some nerves March 27 in Wichita but said she intends to focus on the competition.
“Always try your best,” she said.