The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-07-18
From tie Harerhiu Gdse!te.
EDUCATION.
"A mothers lectures and nurses care.n

mothers lectures and nurses care.n
Here | would beg leave to pause a.
little, and go back TO an earlier stage of
education, for the purpose of mention
ing practice very common with par
ents, but which is as absurd as it is COM
mon.
To learn to articulate or to talk" is,
in truth, an important part of education.
1t is with no small degree of pleasure,
that the anxious mother first notices the
requisite capacities for this rich privilege
of being able to articulate words. For
not a few of the human race, she knows,
are denied this inestimable blessing.
She continues with untired perseverance
to converse to her child resting con-
tented for time to receive no reply,
save what the eye or the countenance
may give. She addresses ii in the Ian
guage of tender affection, which, were
she not to do, she would be monster.
For the purpose of giving tenderness to
her manner, she accustoms herself to
address her child in what may be called
{" baby talk"
The motives which prompt her to,
this, most surely every one will approve.
Are there not, however, good reasons 10
doubt the propriety of this manner of
conversing? As to the the thing itself, is
there any more affection really express
ed by using a distorted baby word, than
! by employing the common word ? Does
this word convince the iafant child of
more tenderness on the part of the par
ent?
We might quote a. list Of these words,
as +" finny," for finger, $ buba,n brother,
s.watte matte" what is the matter; and
many other words and phrases which
are ridiculously incorrect, though in fire.
/ quent USE. This howeveris unnecessa-
| ry; it is important only to inquire wheth-
err there is any more tenderness express
ed and whether any thing is gained by
using this dialect One can express
themselves with as much tenderness in
saying "milk'' as milky"
1t may, however, be asked, why are
these remarks made :! Let the moth.
er select her own phraseology 1t i:
the manner in which the mother ad.
dresses her child that furnishes proof Of
maternal tenderness, and not the
words % True, it is the manner. But
to answer the question, and give area.
son for these remarks, let us inquire
whether, by addressing children in, thi.
broken q baby talk" there is nothing
lost, no injury produced
We are ready to answer, that there
is much lost, and perhaps not unfre
quently lasting injury experienced
We are confident, also, that the decision
Of those who have reflected upon tht
subject, will accord with. our opinion
Young children learn to talk by anita
ton. If, then, you address them contin
ually in broken words, will they not o
course talk in the same manner !? |
they were addressed in words distinctly
spoken, i will venture to say the
would learn to speak intelligibly mucl
sooner than many of them now do
Not that children will at first speal
with distinctness, but great barrie
TO their improvement would be remoy
ed. Many parents are sensible of this
and are careful to converse with thei
children accordingly. Others have no,
task, and often severe one, to und
what, through neglect, was previousl
done. Much time and pains are requ
site to make their children speak wore
! correctly and distinctly, because the
have acquired the strong habit of tall
ing in broken Informed words. Th
habit is SO firmly fixed, and the organ
in some degree moulded, that it is wit
great difficulty they speak any wore
: plain.
When attention TO correcting the hal
! it is neglected for some time, there al
> some words which they never spea
/ distinctly. It's but seldom, we kno,
d that recurrence is had to early educ
{ ton, when we speak of impedimen
in speech, or TO difficulty in articula
Al ing certain words. At the same tim
1t we believe here lies the grand secrt
D. at least in FIVE cases out of seven
lg Many children learn to talk for mont
re before they are able to speak intellis
re bly, to any one, except, perhaps, TO the
'e mother. She may understand the