This unit for the eighth grade is intended to develop, through an inductive approach, the students' understanding of the reasons for the irregularities and difficulties of English spelling. Exercises and lectures on historical background are provided to help students realize that our spelling system is based on late Middle English spelling, that differences in Middle English dialects caused corresponding differences in spelling, that the invention of printing had an influence on stabilizing spelling, and that later changes in pronunciation as well as borrowings from other languages have caused irregularities. In addition, students are helped to understand that English has 46 phonemes but only 26 graphemes and that the system can be divided into regular, semi-regular, and irregular spellings. Finally, through selected readings, spelling reform is presented as impractical because of the continuing changes in pronunciation, the cultural readjustment that would be required, and the prohibitive expense in reprinting. (JS)