The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-07-27
BEGINNINGS ~ LANGUAGE
AND LITERATURE
D, MarIha GaIIandel MarLng

mere are never two OF these exactly
alike, they are always happening
and always different
have watched three children
closely and their way OF learning TO
talk has been absolutely as indiyid-
ual as are the children themselves.
The eldest began at nine months TO
say Mama. Dada, man. boy. dog and
so forth. and after awhile. come. 90.
stay. run, and all the necessary
verbs. aud then the connecting
words. In such absolute agreement
with the best authorities on learn
ing 70 speak" that began 10 plume
myself upon II as a personal matter.
IL is interesting TO note that this in
terest in language. in words and
their exact meaning and accurate
use, has always been part Of this
child's development.
Ny personal vanity as a good
trainer In language received a shock
when the second baby came 10 the
speaking age. Not word would she
say. "Uh. hum" doing duty for ev-
erything: and so clever was she and
well developed mentally that il was
almost uncanny TO see how she con-
yeyed her entire meaning and got
what she wanted without words.
We tried encouragement. discipline,
and example (as her sister was then
| tiye) and when we had begun to feel
quite disconnected, she suddenly at
about IS months, burst into whole
sentences run together such as Give
IL to me, IL don't want to do II" and
others OF which not one single word
was clearly defined. but as a whole
perfectly Ineligible. AS she grew
older she showed the same impa-
thence OF language as a means OF
communication. making a language
Of her own TO which she chung until
she was six, which was Ineligible |
only to her family and playmates. as
strangers could make nothing OF 1t.
a fact which rather pleased her than
otherwise-"M don't min IL dey
tant understan' wat me say; me likes
TO talk ike dis" was a frequent re-
mark while we were trying to train
her out of it. We had at six to have
recourse to expert help in proper
articulation. There was no physical
40 fo |
unusually clear and she reads bet
ter than any child of ten / have ever
known.
Why should such things be in chill
dren of the same family. with the
same training and the same environ
ment? 1t is an interesting problem.
The third child being boy, | have
watched for his use OF language with
great interest. and find that at his
present age OF two. he has a large
and growing vocabulary and very
clear enunciation with a slight ten
dency to let go the IS" He does not.
like his eldest sister at this age,
substitute st." or like a first cousin.
put an "h" everywhere. This little
girl when learning to talk was most
amusing on account OF this propen-
sity. Hum and hee the no" was
Come and see the show" and she
was often a puzzle to her elders.
My own girl OF her age was always
understood and this is the dialogue
heard one day when they we're hay- (
ing a tea-party. Alice. buck a
hord in base and II hell on the hoor"
and then from my own baby, "oh. /.
you mean you tuck a tork in your
tace and it tell on the toorl"
The best helps to a good and early 2
use of language as far as my expert 4
ence goes. are first, no baby-talk
talked TO a child. then all the nurs- .
cry rhymes that there are, told over /
and over again until they are known;
then all the best and simplest stories .
that have become Baby classics, told :
again and again in good language or
In the words OF the books: especially :
.
much repetition. My two !
year-old is already laying the toun- Z
iation OF good literary taste by say i
ing the last word on every line Of the \
nursery rhyme, with occasional de-
ightful variation drawn from his 1
Dwn experience such as this one
If I had a pony that would not go, =
Do you think I would whip him, Oh. 81
no, no, no!
I'd put him in the barn and give him =
some tea
4nd treat him kindly the rest Of the
milk p
No child should lose the delight OF G
his first fight into the realms OF c
ancy. Not to know when I was a e
Bachelor" and "The old Woman Of 3
he Shoe'-not 70 sympathize with :.