The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-01
Frederick Haskin's Letter
AScHOOL FOR WHiSTLERS

methods have been advocated all
along. Whistling is the new addi-
ton to the list Of suggestions for
speech improvement.
Learning to whistle seems sim.
pleS as DR.. Swift teaches it. He
opens the class by testing each mn.
pills foundation for whistling. The
record of the speech defect, il there
is any, has been obtained before
the class begins.
Can you whistle? Some? Good"
says the doctor to a l6-year-old
boy. whistle something"
The boy strikes up Yankee Doo-
de-" and gets through it creditably
though not all the notes are cor.
rect. He is then given a whistlinr
lesson: to practice Yankee Doodle
five times day for five minutes AT
q time.
A bright and smiling little chan
of 9 with a faint lisp in his speech
is next. He speaks in very deem.
monotonous tones, the doctor points
out. He says that he can't whistle
at all.
Try" urges the doctor. wet
your whistle, pucker your lips and
let out one note-like this"
The boy grins and gets out low.
faint note. He is told to practice
pickering up and whistling steady
note five times a day.
Seeks Cure for Stammering.
Then comes the smiling, gray.
haired woman of the class. After A
few false starts she gives waver-
ing version of yankee Doodle" a
a test of her ability. She STAN
mers a little when excited, she er-
! plains, and she is interested to see
whether whistling will help.
II admire your courage" saws
| the doctor. I've can teach you to
whistle anyway"
The doctor says that he has
found only one person who could
not learn to whistle. Why this boy
could not remains a mystery. Either
he could not grasp the idea OF how
to force the sound out, or he could
not control the muscles. While
others in the class advanced from
! steam engine noises to scales aud
on to "My Old Kentucky Home"
this boy never succeeded in pro-
ducing a feeble pipe.
But he is rare exception, Dr..
Swift believes. With patience and
| practice almost anyone can learn
to give his voice exercise by whis-
thing.
DIR. Swift says that more atten-
ton should be given to speech de-
fects, especially in children. In
every school room there are about
two speech detectives he finds.
This seems like a comparatively
small number, but multiplied by the
number of school rooms in city it
becomes more impressive.
Some of the detectives have or
ganic trouble. Many are the vic
Tins of Indifference. bad training,
and habit. Mothers think that chill
dren/ will grow tired of lisping.
stammering and baby talk. Too
often, however, the way of speak.
ing becomes deep rooted through
| habit. 1t is far harder to correct
! defects in a child of II than in a s
year-old. Public schools in mum.
Der Of cities now have speech clin.
les and speech specialists attached
to the teaching force.
Stammering, suffering and the
/, rest of speech defects are often
treated as minor ailments because
they do not apparently impair the
health. They do, however, have
serious effects on the individual.
In society, in business, everywhere
that he comes in contact with other
people, the speech defective is
handicapped. Schools and clinics
have made a start in trying to i'm.
prove the voices Of the rising gen.
Grafton. Perhaps whistling will, as
DR.. Swift prophesies, play a part
in making the American voice
beautiful.