We have spell-checkers on our computers, so why is it important that our children learn to spell? Is it important our kids learn the spelling rules we learned at school? Remember? "When -ing comes to stay, little e runs away."
Experts point out that teaching spelling systematically dispels the myth that spelling is unpredictable and confusing. That English is too chaotic to make sense is a myth. Sure, spelling is not simple, but when people understand its structure, it can be decoded.
Here are six reasons why spelling is important:
Communication: good spelling facilitates communication. By following the same rules for spelling words, we can all understand the text we read.
Comprehension: good spelling avoids confusion. In a way spelling is a bit like sports. It’s up to the person passing the ball to make sure the receiver actually catches it. The same goes for spelling. If you write with intent and proper spelling, the receiver of that text will understand it.
Future: let’s face it, university applications and job resumes littered with spelling errors don’t make it very far.
Computer error: we can’t rely on computers to check our spelling. They get it wrong too.
Distraction: poor spelling distracts the reader and they lose focus. It’s hard to read a text for comprehension when it’s full of spelling errors.
Impressions last: when you have people read something you’ve written and that text is full of spelling errors, it does not leave a good impression. We should care about the fundamental part good spelling plays in our language.
