The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-18
READING AND SINGING.
Evils of Our Present System Suggested
by Or. 'Burnham.

| DR.. Durham spoke on Hygiene OF
reading and singing" and said in part:
We shall begin the lecture by a look
at the study of hygiene of reading and
IN its relation to voice, eye, posture
and habits. No definite Investigations
have been made in the line of the eff
feet on the voice in this study, except
in defects in the voice. Extended in
vestigations of school children in re-
gard to stanmering, have been made
IN Germany and France. Causes of
suffering are numerous. A certain
cause may be mental and moral. hered-
ltary causes, diseases of the organs of
speech, nervous diseases, acquired or
heredity. Too early attendance of the
children at school may be a cause.
The number of stammers has been
found to increase after children nave
eeen In school for while. One cause
IS probably suggestion, by association
with some member of the family or
with sehoolmate who shutters. There
IS great increase In the second scnool
year, just after the children have be-
gun to read. Improper methods of
studying reading in primary class is
perhaps one of the causes. In many
cases reading is begun prematurely.
Llsping, talking through the nose,
m1spronouncing are common defects.
Much attention ought to be given in
the school to reading aloud as a physi-
cal exercise, if for no other reason.
The ancients believed in reading aloud.
| Reading aloud is a motor accomplish
ment. Care must be taken that vocal
training is not given prematurely. The
methods OF teaching reading are TN
satisfactory. The reason largely has
been that this has not been considered
as a motor training. Children should
not be taught to read too soon. Quits
mann says that the child should have
preliminary voice training before
taught reading. He puts special stress
| on distinct articulation. He empha-
sizes the value of whispering, and OBJ
jeets to the habit of children speaking
too loud. By this higher tone is ae-
| quired, and the practice is exceeding
| Iy dangerous at the time of the change
| of the voice
| Second, as regards vision. 1t has
been attempted to establish certain
rules for printing The minimum of
thickness of the paper should be .0S of
millimeter, so that print will not show
| through. No type should be used that
| cannot easily be recognized at the dis
! lance of one metre. The paper should
be opaque, the type black In this
| country too small type is used in some
( school books.
/ Among the recommendations of Jeval
| is of long lines. Some think that the
| line should be no longer than the visual
l,distance The ordinary rules in regard
| to light and frequent rest for the eyes
J should be followed in reading 1t is
noteworthy that the eyes do not move
! steadily in reading line, but by a Sc
/ ries of jumps. 1t has been estimated
| that the number of movements made
| by the eye in reading for one hour is
| about $4,000.
Third, as regards posture. Suitable
| seats and desks is the main point. The
book should be placed at an angie Of
| As degrees, and it is desirable that
/ desks should be made in accordance
with this angle.
| Fourth, as regards habits formed.
| Reading is rather an unhygienic opera
| ton at best 1t is stimulative and
sedative. If reading means reading
| what is worth reading and digestfne
what is learned. it is all right. From
a hygienic point of view, the reading
habit, in some cases, is vice, and it is
very difficult to regulate this reading.
Experience has shown that a child
! who learns to read at or 10 years of
/ age is by no means handicapped. All
least the child should not form the
reading habit before the age of 10.
| The old spelling method of learning
| to read is interesting historically,
Heinike attacks the spelling method in
a way which was very shocking to
tender nerves. One can give no idea
of the torture of this method, he saws,
| who has not seen it. It is a greater
evil than the burning of heretics and
| witches. In the first place, a means
was made an end. Children were made
to spell long words simply for the sake
of spelling. They did not teach the
| letter units in their right perspective:
they did not arouse interest in the chill
| dren.
Children must not attempt to sing
| beyond the natural compass of their
voices. Special care should be taken in
the kindergarten in this line. Espe-
| cially important is the consideration al
| the time of mutation of the voice
| Should voice training be omitted dur
ing the period when the voice is break
| ing? DR.. Mckenzie says that training
| within certain limits and under proper
| supervision it might be carried on. In
| most cases, however, it is dangerous Ia
! make a boy use his voice while it is
| changing.