The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-12-11
Teach Them TO Speak Properly.
One has only to hear the children O


any family speak to know what Ian
guage is used by Their superiors. 1t is
not necessary to study tho rules and
principles OF grammar in order to be
correct speaker. It is habit, and one
that is acquired from early infancy. OF
course the study OF grammar is Il great
help to proper use Of words and cx-
pressions, as 1t gives reasons why snch
and such words are used in par.icu-
lar sense. But it il not an uncommon
thing to hear educated men and women,
who should know better, make grave
mistakes in the use OF language. II
cannot be because they are ignoran. OF
the principles of grammar, since they
are always able to correct themselves
after little thought. 1t must be, then,
that they have accustomed themselves
since childhood to 4 certain set of ex-
pressions, which will cling TO them
through life unless great effort is
made to rid themselves OF them.
Parents have the means i'll their power
of rendering their little ones gool
grammatical speakers. Ii fathers and
mothers would use sensible language in
talking to their babies when they are
first learning to speak, the child wonld
never know any better and would speak
correctly just as easily as it would in
correctly. For instance, in the use Of
personal pronouns almost every child
will say me wants piece OF
bread and butter instead Of L want"
etc, and very often they use no
personal pronoun, but their own name.
have always heard it said that it was
almost an impossibility to teach little
ones the use of pronouns, but that i
no reason why we, as mothers, should
not try. know personally of cases of
children only three years of age who
do use pronouns, and generally in the
proper place. OF course great many
mistakes are made daily, bnt ii they
are corrected every time they are made
the children will naturally fall into the
habit OF expressing themselves in u
proper manner. and take pride il it.
too. Any one who has had any expert
ence with children knows that it is i.
common thing to hear from the lips OF
girls and boys of perhaps ten or twelve
years of age, such expressions rs Il
hIONG0 v. i SScH IL. l1liH stI
nothing" "He bring it, and all the
forms OF the verb to be are generally
| used in some wrong manner. 1t takes
time and patience to stop them when
ever they make a mistake, hut il will
| save great deal Of labor for them af-
| terward, and afford us large amount
of present qualification. Tell the child
to repeat the proper expression after
ycu. and, after one or two repetitions
of the correction, they will not he apt
| to make the same error again. Children
make use Of the expressions that they
| hear at home, and ii their elders will al
ways use good language the little ones
| will do the same. Some mothers have
IN idea that any affection for the baby
| cannot bc expressed in good language,
| but they must tell their love in what il
known rs baby talk. Now this same
| baby talk, although it sounds very cum.
ming for awhile, soon loses its charm
especially when the child Is three III
four years old, and we wish then tina.
we Ind talked to them in prope,
manner, and had done all that Nc pos,
sibly could to make them correct
speakers. 1t is n rarity and also Il
great pleasure to have Guild OF five
or six, md sometimes even older. speal.
SO rs to he understood 10y any one.
Parents leave too much to teachers,
thinking that all errors will he rect tiel
when under their charge. but habit
of several years standing are hari IL
break. and child who says Il seen
during childhood will be apt to use the
expression when fully maturea
know Of many cases of ladies who use
this and similar phrases, simply from
force of habit, not from ignorant o,
/ They are conscious Of having nsel 4
wrong word, and have often been NOR,
| titled for SO doing. Grown-up people
who use wrong words should put i
| watch upon themselves, and make III
their minds to use only correct IAN
guage. And how much easier it viii
be for our boys and girls, when the,
are men aud women, ii We have IN
stiilel in their minds only the propel
forms Of language, 81 that speaking
correctly will be rs natural t. them a
eating their dinners. IL,
HEAVEN never helps the men VII
will not act. --- sophoc,es,