Choosing Words Carefully For AARP Spelling Bee

Preparations are under way for the A-A-R-P National Spelling Bee in Cheyenne this summer.

The bee, for spellers age 50- and older, begins with a 100-word written test, which narrows the field to the top 15.

Brian Greene is a librarian who selects most of the words for the competition, and he uses several resources.

"Personal reading, going through the dictionary page-by-page looking for words of interest, using the ‘word of the day’ from Merriam-Webster - I also get one of those page-a-day calendars via email."

Greene was a contestant during one of the early competitions and now serves on the spelling bee board. This year’s event, August 10th and 11th, includes a workshop on brain health.