Scripps National Spelling Bee Announces Kindle As New Presenting Sponsor

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Feb 23, 2016, 09:00 ET

CINCINNATI, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Scripps National Spelling Bee has solidified an agreement with Kindle as the presenting sponsor of the nation's largest and longest-running educational program. The sponsorship brings together two internationally recognized brands that share in the belief that reading is critically important to a child's lifelong achievement.

"We want to help students be the best readers, writers, speakers and listeners," said Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. "Before our students were great spellers, they were great readers. Our mission is to give kids the tools they need to learn, and our new year-round relationship with Kindle will enable us to expand our reach to parents, teachers and children to reinforce the message that early reading leads to great spelling and vocabulary."

Kindle offers technology that will be used by the Scripps National Spelling Bee in building its word lists for school-level study materials. Vocabulary Builder compiles an easy-to-access list from words readers explore through the dictionary option. Readers can use these lists to quiz themselves with flashcards and instantly see words in context until they have mastered them. With Word Wise, short and simple definitions automatically appear above difficult words to help readers take on more challenging books. These enhancements provide for an improved reading experience that leads to greater comprehension, a stronger vocabulary and a better, uninterrupted reading experience for young readers.

"Our mission is to enable and inspire a passion for reading at any age," said Neil Lindsay, vice president of Amazon Devices. "We all love seeing kids lose themselves in a good book, and with tools like Kindle FreeTime, Word Wise and Vocabulary Builder, young readers comprehend more and gain reading confidence faster, which encourages them to tackle more challenging books on their own. We share a love of words with the Scripps National Spelling Bee and are excited about this collaboration."

The Scripps National Spelling Bee started in 1925 with nine contestants. Today, it is estimated that more than 11 million students participate each year. This is the 89th annual National Spelling Bee.

Local sponsors around the country are now preparing for regional final events to determine the students who will advance to the National Finals. The regional finals are the culmination of numerous spelling bees that started in the classroom and advanced to the grade level, then to the entire school, the school district and maybe the city before reaching the regionals. The size of each region determines how many levels a speller has to win in order to advance. Approximately 275-280 spellers will participate in the National Finals in National Harbor, Maryland.

At Bee Week, young spellers from all 50 U.S. states and several countries from around the world will have an international audience as they spell their way to the coveted title of champion. The Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place May 24-26 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in the Washington, D.C. area. ESPN will broadcast live from the Championship Finals on Thursday, May 26, from 8-10 p.m. EDT.

As presenting sponsor, Kindle will become an integral part of Bee Week and will spark new Bee initiatives that will take place during parts of the school year. The Scripps National Spelling Bee will soon announce a variety of promotions aimed at extending the Bee experience for spellers and encouraging awareness of the many benefits of the Kindle reading platform.

Kindle e-readers are purpose-built for reading and create a sanctuary for readers to get lost in a book. All Kindle e-readers feature displays that are easy to read with no glare, even in bright sunlight, do not emit blue light, have battery life that is measured in weeks rather than hours, and are lightweight and easy to hold and read on for hours. Kindle e-readers come with instant access to the Kindle Store, which includes millions of books, newspapers and magazines, including the latest best sellers, Kindle Singles, and more that appeal to audiences of all ages and reading levels. With Kindle FreeTime, kids can read books in a simple, fun and safe environment designed specifically for them. Kids are rewarded with achievement badges when they reach their reading milestones, and a progress report keeps parents updated on total time spent reading, number of words looked up, badges earned and books read.

About the Scripps National Spelling Bee:
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation's largest and longest-running educational program. The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all of their lives. Visit spellingbee.com for more information about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company.

About Scripps:
The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, radio and digital media brands. Scripps is one of the nation's largest independent TV station owners, with 33 television stations in 24 markets and a reach of nearly one in five U.S. households. It also owns 34 radio stations in eight markets. Scripps also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses, including podcast industry leader Midroll Media and over-the-top video news service Newsy. Scripps also produces television shows including "THE LIST" and "The Now" and runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, "Give light and the people will find their own way."

About Amazon:
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

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SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company