ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: The five-day Dawn in Education Regional Spelling Bee championship will start at the Islamabad Club auditorium on Monday.

This year, some 100 schools from the federal capital and nearby areas are participating in the competition compared to 69 last year.

The spelling competition between nine- and 11-year-old students will continue for two days. Eighty-one teams (each containing three students) are participating in the show.

Eighty-three teams of students between 12 and 14 years of age will display their talents on Wednesday and Thursday, while Friday would see students aged 15-17 locked in some interesting battle of proving the worth of their memories and reading habits. Zara Basharat, one of the organisers, said spelling bee encouraged students to adopt the habit of reading which was gradually vanishing in the age of computer. The event had been winning over more and more schools and students because of the thrill and joy that coated the pure educational activity, she said.

The championship had won the hearts of teachers, students and parents in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, she said.

The championship will start in Lahore from Tuesday and in Karachi it will be held in February. The national championship will be held in March this year in Karachi.