You're thinking of it as a pedagological tool. I'm thinking of it as a crutch. The truth is in-between and will vary from person to person, but I'd bet money most people lean on it more than they learn from it.
> But does developing your spelling actually matter?
I don't think it does. I think it's similar to how people used to lament the loss of the bard who'd memorize songs/stories as reading became increasingly popular. I was just responding on how it changes how we think.
I do think mental math matters, but most people disagree so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I also think mental math matters, but I think that people who end up using simple math a lot will simply pick up the ability to do mental math as necessary.
Maybe being able to spell perfectly is about as useful a skill as putting shoes on a horse or chipping a piece of stone into an arrowhead.
What if 100% of the time that s devoted to spelling was devoted to something else, like just reading?