Staff photo / Chris McBride Phillip Gleason, a home-schooled student from Warren, stands outside the Tribune Chronicle office as he prepares for today’s 21-WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee at Stambaugh Auditorium. This is his final year of competition as he is now in eighth grade.

WARREN — For Phillip Gleason, spelling bees have been part of his life since he was just 7.

Now, as he prepares for his final year of competition at today’s 21-WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee, the homeschooled teen reflects on the lessons learned, the challenges overcome and the friendships forged along the way.

Phillip’s journey into the world of spelling bees began with a local homeschool group that hosted annual competitions.

“The winner would go to the regional bee,” Phillip said. “I just kind of filled a role because not many people wanted to do it. Most contestants were just pulled in at the last minute, so they didn’t study much.”

Over the years, his dedication to spelling has taken him to national stages, including the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2020. However, that experience was far from what he expected. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition took place virtually, and Phillip was eliminated early after misspelling the word “jealousy.”

“I thought it was too easy of a word, so I overthought it,” he said. “I was thinking of a harder word, and I got out on the first round.”

This year, Phillip hopes to qualify for the national bee again, but this time in person.

“I’m hoping to think more about the words and their definitions so I don’t make that kind of mistake again,” he said.

His preparation routine is methodical. He studies one page of the official spelling bee word list at a time, using online software and help from his parents to quiz himself. In the weeks leading up to the competition, he ramps up his efforts, sometimes studying multiple pages each day.

“I often have trouble with double letters — thinking there’s two when there’s only one, or one when there’s two,” Phillip said. “But words with common endings like ‘tion’ or ‘ious’ are easier for me.”

For him, spelling bees have been more than just a competition — they’ve been a cornerstone of his education. As a homeschooler, he hasn’t followed a traditional spelling curriculum. Instead, his years of competing have served as his primary way of learning spelling.

“We don’t have any formal spelling curriculum at home,” he said. “This is how I’ve learned to spell.”

Looking back on his years of competition, Phillip said the most valuable lesson he’s learned is the importance of effort and dedication.

“The winner always seems to be the person who puts in the most time and energy,” he said. “It showed me that there’s a reward for effort. Whoever puts in the most effort can achieve something great.”

One of his favorite moments came when he correctly spelled “satine” during a competition after struggling with it during practice.

“It made me feel good to know I had worked through it,” he said.

On stage, Phillip relies on a careful strategy to tackle each word.

“I ask every question they let me ask — pronunciation, origin, a sentence, alternate pronunciations,” he said. “I make sure I’m as clear as I can be on the word before I spell it.”

Behind Phillip’s success is a family that has supported him every step of the way. His mother helps him prepare by quizzing him and exploring word pronunciations and definitions, while his father imports words into a spelling tutor software program for additional practice.

“We’re very proud of his perseverance,” said Heather Gleason, Phillip’s mother. “He’s adapted to so many changes over the years, from the pandemic moving the national bee online to the shift in local sponsors. His attitude has been a blessing.”

As he prepares for his final year of competition, his family is feeling a mix of emotions. “It’s bittersweet,” Heather said. “It feels like an era is ending, but we’re excited to see what’s next for him.”

While this chapter of Phillip’s life is coming to a close, his love for language and spelling will likely influence his future.

“Phillip has always had a great vocabulary and understanding of language,” his mother said. “We think this will help him in all aspects of his life, from education to career to communication.”

For younger spellers just starting out, he offers this advice.

“Get familiar with the words as soon as possible. Even if you don’t know what they mean or how to spell them perfectly, just having seen them before helps a lot,” Phillip said.