English spelling origin (OT?)

[Dave Hause]

A relayed question from a friend's six year old daughter, who had missed one
word on a spelling test and thus sentenced herself to have to write out the
spelling words for the rest of the week and retake the test:  "quick"
spelled as "quik."  "But Mommy, why is that wrong?  They would both be
pronounced with the same sound."  I haven't the vaguest idea where to
research this.
TIA
Dave Hause, dwhause at jobe.net
Ft. Leonard Wood, MO