Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-09

Stammerng is an impeachment or hind.
rance to perfect utterance. Ii Is believed
to be not the result of one but of various
causes. While it may be said to be natu-
raj to some. it is actually acquired by
others, but at an age when the child is SC
young that many parents do not really
know whether the child always stammered
or not. This impeachment is too often the
result of pressure or coinpulsion on the
I part of parents while teaching children to
/ speak what is beyond their power to I'M
4 dcrstand. Now a very small child can
with patience be taught to Gle irly enunci-
ate every element in cat, top. 90. papa,
mamuIa, but he would make little less
! than confusion of 4oun l. if pressed to re-
peat. Must | budget Must | stand and
crouch under : our teSty humor:" And
vet have heard equally hard sentences
given to mere bits of chldren-iu.t for
tuu-and the result. II mere parrottng of
sounds, was praised and laughed at and
the little one urged to say 1t again and
faster.
But this is all wrong. We do not hurry
ou ti'iidres tt1nt eating or walking for
if they walk in a hurry they will he de
formed, and vet We allow much greater
deformity than that Of the body to befaIl
them, when we neglect to teach them
pure and polite utterance. If a child
trips over certain word or letter. first
speak the word or letter full aud clear.
and then ask him to rep at it. for it is Just
possible that he has given a close imi-
tation of your own sounds than YOU nc
first Imagine. II he does not master II
the first time try again, aud again, but
never permit him to see the least show of
AZ h,t ~. 81
or stammering aS the ease NAV be i any
thing whatever to max you love him less
or be less proud of him. \ child with
any impcdiment of speech should never
he teased by other children for the plr
pose # showing off his weakness or de
tormity of language. He should never
be hurried while talking nor permitted
to run on in rambling way of
his own accord. In my own experience
have seen very good results-the best
from any treatment from q thorough
course OF vocal gymnastics. This exer-
Use can he so varied as TO appear more
like recreation than vocal drill | have
resorted to this course scores of times in
the schooiro0m and never failed to get up
lively excitement which almost ALWAYS
end- in good hearty laugh. 4 child
knowing he has any impediment soon
learns 10 avoid the use of those elements
that trouble him most. Now this should
not be so, for the impeachment is itself a
lack Of ease OF ilueucy II the use of certain
elements and he can acquire the needed
ease and fiuency in no othey way than By Z
becoming perfectly familiar with them. /
hence he should never avoid by smother /
ing or .nhsti,pti1g the letter or word
which gives him the most sFosbls in speak
ing.
y stammering child should always be
made to feel that by an effort of his own
he will be able in due time to overcome
the defect in MS speech, But because he
Summers he should never be .husbed up
before strangers provided it Is proper for
him to make remarks. On the contrary
his opinion should as often be asked and
ne should be encouraged to join in the
general evening chats az any of the other
,hildren, That stammering can be cured
have good reasons for believing but that
! Is e1sies to do when the child is yery
'oung than when the habit has become
liked | also believe.