Students, parents or teachers don't usually meet the subject of spelling with cheers or applause, unless one is given to the love of the trivial.  To be honest, I have never enjoyed it either, as a student or as a teacher. That might explain some academic performance angst in earlier years.  Nevertheless, as in all things in life, spelling is a part of our task of education and is necessary for the report cards and Language Arts requirements.  But is that all that this seemingly often-humdrum assignment offers?  If so, then like many students we can legitimately say, "do we have to?"  If our answer is nothing more than, "it is necessary in order to read better" or " you want a good mark on your report card, don't you" or " a good speller makes a good reader which gets you into university and/or good jobs" then we are selling short both the subject and our students.

It dawned on me, in the middle of giving a spelling test no less, that there must be much more to spelling than what is mentioned above.  I was halfway through my list of twenty words when I stopped the class and asked the students, "Why do we need to do spelling?"  Their reply was simple, "we have to in order to get a good mark."  I knew that answer because I had given it to them.  "No," I responded excitedly, "Spelling lists and tests and learning vocabulary have eternal value!"  Their facial expressions begged for more!

Why do we learn vocabulary?  Simply, it's in order to increase our ability to communicate.  Communication has a three fold purpose; Communication from God to us through his Word, Communication from us to God through prayer, and communication about God, his Word and His creation to others. We study spelling in order that we can read God's Word.  William Carey, a Baptist missionary to India once said that his primary purpose "was proclamation, translation, education."  His "mission schools taught a wide range of subjects, but Bible instruction was an integral part of their curriculum."  The more vocabulary students absorb, the deeper His Word can be studied and understood. And once we have a relationship with the Father, and because we have so great a treasure in the gospel, we desire to communicate it to the rest of the world.  The call to impact the world's cultures, therefore, is a God-given desire to convey the message of the gospel, calling sinners everywhere to repent and believe in the Saviour.

The words learned today will be used throughout this life to glorify Him and to praise Him far into eternity.  The blessing of teaching and learning vocabulary in school is that we will use these very same words in heaven to praise God, thank the Lamb who was slain for us, and share with others the wonder, beauty and blessings of being a child of so great a redeemer! Thus, the great opportunity of Christian education is that it provides meaning and purpose to something formerly thought mundane and insignificant, because now it is understood as a God-ordained means to glorify Him and bring blessing to others.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)

Mr. Chris McGrath