Spelling Down Our Kids?
63It's Dumbing Down Our Kids!
Spelling Down the Kids?
Recently there was an event in Washington D.C. that drew some protesters. No, it wasn't a Tea Party gathering or White House press conference. It was a spelling bee!
Members from the American Literacy Council and the London-based Spelling Society were there to suggest we change the way we spell our words. Enough should be spelled “enuf.” Slow should be rendered “slo.” And to eat a healthy breakfast today, be sure you include some “froot.”The correct spellings are too hard to learn!
Apparently our alphabet gives us 425 ways of combining sounds into words. Some of those don't appear too logical. This supposedly deters a child from learning to read.
Meanwhile, the 273 kids inside the event were having no trouble spelling big words with odd letter combinations. Apparently they applied themselves and made the effort to learn to spell and to master their daily language. There was no official competition dictionary in sight that listed “enuf,” “slo” and “froot.”
A language is much more than the spelling of its diverse and various words. They contain roots and origins that remind us of our history and culture. Scan a dictionary for a few minutes and notice how many words come from Latin, Greek, French and German. Our ancestors that settled this country and made it work came from countries that spoke those languages. Their words, with a little variation, became the words we use today. Can I borrow a “taler?” Then I need a dollar, please. What's for lunch? Let's grab a “hamburger” --a German word for a popular sandwich that originated in the city of Hamburg.
Destroy the spelling and you destroy the language.
It is just another way of folks trying to dumb down our kids.
Enough is enough!
If you want to read the opposing side's views, you can click here:
