Twelve-year-old Taggart Nakamoto has been preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C., ever since he learned to read — and watched his two older brothers prepare for various spelling competitions.
Twelve-year-old Taggart Nakamoto has been preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C., ever since he learned to read — and watched his two older brothers prepare for various spelling competitions.
Scattered on counter tops, as well as stuck on computer and television screens inside his Kealakekua home, are slips of paper with vocabulary words or roots of words. His family enjoys using the roots to make up new words, mixing together funny combinations, or trying for fun to outdo each other with creative puns.
His mother, Traci Nakamoto, said it’s not unusual to give her children options like either clean your bedroom or do some spelling and go to bed at 8 p.m. or read until 9 p.m. Her children are also not allowed to “text speak” on their cellphones because “it’s important to write properly and communicate effectively.”
All that attention to playing with the written word and dedication to it has paid off for the Konawaena Middle School sixth grader. Taggart on Saturday became the 2012 Hawaii State Spelling Bee Champion after correctly spelling billabong — a backwater caused by overflow from a river and forming a stagnant pool — in round 16 of the aio Foundation’s competition at PBS Hawaii’s Honolulu studio.
His victory earned him a coveted spot at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, one of the world’s most prestigious spelling competitions and the longest-running in the United States. He is among the 277 regional spelling champions competing May 29 to 31 for more than $40,000 in cash and prizes.
“I’m excited to be able to go to Washington, D.C., and compete, just like my brother did,” he said.
Reading, knowing the roots to decipher the words and studying spelling two days a week were key for Taggart, who hopes someday to become a forensic chemist or chemistry professor.
During the annual state spelling bee, 14 finalists, ages 9 to 14, represented Hawaii Island, Honolulu, Central Oahu, Leeward Oahu, Windward Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Roland Afaga Jr., an 11-year-old Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School sixth grader, became the state’s first runner-up.
“Taggart and Roland Jr. are both remarkable spellers,” said Sherie Char, state spelling bee coordinator and aio special projects administrator. “Before the championship round, Taggart correctly spelled difficult words, such as whortleberry and bildungsroman, with ease. His extraordinary spelling talent amazed us all.”
Prior to Saturday’s competition, Traci told Taggart, a first-time competitor, she wouldn’t be surprise if he did well because of his vast knowledge and passion for words. However, she knew Taggart could become the state spelling bee champion when he was given the word whortleberry in the final rounds.
“He loves blueberries and had known this was the plant’s other name,” she said. “As soon as it was announced, I saw his butterflies vanish. There was delight and excitement in his eyes.”
Words are the path to glory for the Nakamotos, a family of spelling bee winners. Taggart’s oldest brother, Teagon, was a finalist in Hawaii State Spelling Bee in 2005 and 2006. His second-oldest brother, Talmage, placed sixth in 2007 Hawaii State Spelling Bee and advanced to the 2008 and 2009 National Spelling Bee.
“We never intentionally tried to be a family of strong spellers,” Traci said. “My husband and I just wanted our children to be good readers. Our home is filled with so many books. Reading was encouraged at an early age, and they’ve always been voracious readers. We sort of stumbled into exposing them to hard-to-pronounce or obscure words and playing with roots when our first son decided to compete in spelling bees.”
A little sibling rivalry and their natural spelling prowess also helped. But most of all, the Nakamotos enjoyed the camaraderie among each other and other families who get a thrill for getting all their letters right.
The live broadcast of the state spelling bee was aired by PBS Hawaii, with a radio simulcast on ESPN 150. PBS Hawaii will rebroadcast the show at 1 p.m. Saturday. The live broadcast of the national spelling bee semifinals will be aired Saturday on ESPN2, and the final competition will air live on ESPN.