A 6-year-old Virginia girl is on her way to the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee after being crowned the 34th Prince William County Spelling Bee champion on Friday.
Lori Anne Madison, of Woodbridge, Va., beat out 21 of the best spellers from elementary and middle schools in Prince William County, Va., during the competition Friday at Mills E. Godwin Middle School in Dale City.
"It's hard to put into words really . . . but at the least I felt great," she told Fox affiliate WTTG-TV in an interview.
"I was confident because I have been in spelling bees with older kids before and I judge them by who they are, not about age," she said.
Lori, who is home-schooled, will travel with her parents to Washington, D.C., for the May 29 to June 1 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, sponsored by the News & Messenger newspaper and the Bel Air Woman's Club.
The girl said she credits her memory and parents' help in spelling challenging words, like "vaquero," the Spanish translation of cowboy, which is more commonly used in Texas.
"My parents quiz me, I read lists and I have a really good memory," she told the station.
Click for more on Virginia spelling bee champion Lori Anne Madison
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