National Spelling Bee qualifier is 6, youngest ever to qualify

A six-year-old Virginia girl who started reading before the age of two is the youngest person ever to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Lori Anne Madison will join 278 other contestants, including some more than twice her age and size, for the Super Bowl of spelling. The precocious child has become something of a national celebrity since winning a regional competition in March, correctly spelling "vaquero." "It was shocking," her mother Sorina said. "I didn't expect all the media attention. We're private people. We're regular people. It was intimidating. But I'm happy for her."