Does Spelling Really Matter?
am a terrible speller. Well, not terrible I guess, but not good. I blame spell check for it. But when I write on a flip chart or a white board, and I misspell some words, I wonder if it really matters. People reading it might think "Hey, that guy is a bad speller" but does it make me less charming, witty and intelligent. Of course not. It just makes me a bad speller. So if people understand the meaning of the word, does it really matter? My answer as you can guess is no, it doesn't. But a couple of rules.
- Proper names. Bad spelling doesn't apply to names, such as someone's first or last name, the name of a location, or geographic area. It wouldn't be right if someone wrote Bob Hoap instead of Bob Hope, or Massachusets instead of Massachusetts, or Japanize instead of Japanese. You get the point. They will still understand what you are trying to write, but it's a sign of respect.
- Grammar matters. This has nothing to do with spelling and I actually think proper grammar is a sign of intelligence. At least academic intelligence. Saying that things are going good, and not things are going well, is a minor infraction, but important.
- Definition of the Word. Here is where it is highly critical to spell a word correctly. If you are going 'two' the store makes no sense. Same with going 'too' the store. But if you are going 'to' the store, then we are good. Same applies to write=right, new=knew, weight=wait, you get the idea. In my inconsistent logic, this is one rule that cannot be compromised.
I also think that grades 1-12 should continue to focus on correct spelling. I remember taking spelling tests and all that nonsense, and still think it is important to teach kids the right way. But in the real world, I think the importance should be less on how a word is spelled and more on how a person performs in a given task, or how they interact with others. I mean really, does it matter that tommorrow is Saterday, or is it more important to know that tomorrow is Saturday.
That's just me. I like this idea because it covers up my own failings with proper English. I'll continue to use spell check and not purposely misspell words, but when I write something on a piece of paper with an actual pen, and it is spelled wrong, I won't lose sleep over it. Not that I ever did, I guess, lose sleep over spelling a word wrong, but next time I'll feel better because I voiced my opinion on why spelling doesn't matter.
Next up, why watching the Ultimate Fighting Challenge is not a redneck activity and should be on the same level as watching American Experience on PBS.