Words that should be respelt

[monster]

So colour should really be culler? or kuller? or kulla? Should people with different accents spell things differently?

Learning to spell teaches our children a lot more than just how to spell. It teaches them about rules and exceptions to rules, it teaches them about guesswork and approximations, it teaches them about making fine distinguishments (their there they're). They learn about patterns, about symmetry (b/d p/q), about shape. They learn about sounds and how to make them. They get to experience multitasking (c) and redundance (qu).

How much of this would be lost if spelling were simplified? Is there a gain that can justify that loss? Let's simplify spelling so a simple AI program can do it. Do we really want to reduce the challenge to our children to that level? Is reducing mental obstacles really a good thing?

Spelling may seem a boring thing when you are on the learning end, but frankly, so does potty training to some kids. That doesn't mean it's not a good thing. Maybe, in some instances, the teaching approach could be improved. But then learning to deal with a little tedium is also a valuable life skill.