9-y-o bags Clarendon title
Published:Thursday | October 14, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Tennesia Malcolm, Staff Reporter
Jaden Henry has a knack for spelling. "I knew that he could spell because he has been a brilliant boy from kinder prep. And I noticed that at age six when we would take him on the road he would spell the signs," said a beaming Yvette Blackwood.
Blackwood's pride stemmed from the fact that, a few minutes earlier, she had sat in the audience at St Grabriel's Anglican Church hall in May Pen, Cla-rendon, and witnessed her nine-year-old grandson outspell a whopping 66 other youngsters.
His reward: the title of The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee champion for Clarendon. And some great prizes, including the champion's trophy.
The youngest champion so far this year, Jaden at first could not pronounce the words he loved to spell at age six, but he soon got it all together.
One day he went into the bank and said to his legal guardian, "Grandma, that is Jamaica National."
"I said, 'Wow! This is gonna be a brilliant child'."
The potential Blackwood saw in her ward caused her to enrol Jaden in Owen and Carlene Rodney's spelling programme.
The effort bore fruit, as just like the Rodneys' own son, Owayne, Jaden took the winning spot on his first attempt.
"I am happy," said the Hastings Academy student, "because this is my first time.
"I studied hard," the pint-size champ revealed, with the help of not only his coaches, but an enthusiastic Grandma Blackwood, who explained how Jaden got involved.
"I started giving him some little words and I noticed that he was making effort.
"(Then) I started giving him some bigger words. If I give him 10 words, he would spell three incorrectly. So when he started going to primary school I bought him the Spelling Bee book," Blackwood said.
The grade-fiver has not looked back since.
His winning word: R-O-G-U-I-S-H.
tennesia.malcolm@gleanerjm.com
Top 5
1. Jaden Henry, Hastings Academy
2. Tristen Spencer, Monymusk Preparatory
3. Vanessa Mullings, Denbigh High
4. Ruth Anne McClymont, Spaldings Primary
5. Devoy Cobourne, Denbigh High