child is unable to make even the simplest sounds consciously, and these simple sounds must be learned before the child can make combinations of sounds which form words. There are often years of retardation to be overcome, and this can not be accomplished in a month. The second type of speechless child is, as has been said, one who forms the correct auditory impression but is unable to disintegrate words into the elementary sounds of which they are composed. The result is confused motor (or kinæsthetic) imagery, which produces an unintelligible gibberish that has little similarity to the auditory impression. Such a child has correct auditory impressions stored up, but has not learned the art of releasing them. Progress with this type is much more rapid than with the first type. Such a child is able to imitate the consonant and vowel sounds, but is unable to combine them in order to produce an intelligible word. For example, if you say daddy or mother, the child is unable to say the word after you in an intelligible manner. But when you break it into its simple elements, as da-dee or mo-ther, he will sound them correctly. This child hears and interprets the meaning of the word or sentence in terms of the object or the action implied, but he can not repeat either the word or the sentence, because so far as the motor speech area is concerned he can interpret and reproduce only the simplest form of stimuli. For example, the word mother recalls the image of his mother, but it does not stimulate the proper motor speech pathways to say the word mother. Again, Put on your coat recalls the action necessary to carry out the order; excitation immediately takes place along the association fibers connecting the memory centers necessary to stimulate the proper actions to carry out the order, but the child can not repeat the words. In teaching a word like mother, begin with teaching m, then o, then mo. When he says mo correctly several times, teach th-er. Put th-er together and get ther. Then have him produce the first group mo and then the second group ther. All words should be built up in this manner for children with this particular type of speech defect. Again take a simple sentence like I see you. It will be necessary to break each word into its elementary sounds. In order to teach this type of child to say the above, the work must be presented in the following manner: Each word should be taught separately until it is clearly under the child's control. The simple sentence used above is not a problem of three words, or three stimuli, to the child, but one of six elementary sounds. At first the child's vocabulary will consist of words definitely taught, but as activity is aroused throughout the speech area the child slowly begins to interpret sounds of a more complex nature. The consonant sounds should be combined with the vowel sounds as suggested on page 10. Probably the sounds of m, p, and s will be found easiest and should be attempted first. A very great deal can be accomplished with patience and persistence. Readings and Recitations THE O'LINCOLN FAMILY A flock of merry singing-birds were sporting in the grove; Up flies Bobolincon, perching on an apple tree, Startled by his rival's song, quickened by his raillery. Soon he spies the rogue afloat, curveting in the air, And merrily he turns about, and warns him to beware! "Tis you that would a-wooing go, down among the rushes O! But wait a week, till flowers are cheery,-wait a week, and, ere you marry, Wadolink, Whiskodink, Tom Denny, wait, wait, wait!" Every one's a funny fellow; every one's a little mellow; Follow, follow, follow, follow o'er hill and in the hollow! Merrily, merrily, there they hie; now they rise and now they fly; They cross and turn, and in and out, and down in the middle, and wheel about,— With a "Phew, shew, Wadolincon! Listen to me, Bobolincon! Happy's the wooing that's speedily doing, that's speedily doing, THE CATARACT OF LODORE "How does the water Come down at Lodore?" My little boy asked me Thus, once on a time; And moreover he tasked me To tell him in rhyme. Anon, at the word, There first came one daughter, And then came another, To second and third The request of their brother, And to hear how the water Comes down at Lodore, That so I should sing; Because I was Laureate To them and the King. From its sources which well In the tarn on the fell; From its fountains In the mountains, Its rills and its gills; Through moss and through brake, It runs and it creeps For a while, till it sleeps WILSON FLAGG. In its own little lake. And thence at departing, It runs through the reeds, Among crags in its flurry, Hurry-skurry. Here it comes sparkling, It reaches the place Of its steep descent. The cataract strong As if a war waging Its caverns and rocks among; Rising and leaping, Turning and twisting, Around and around With endless rebound: Smiting and fighting, A sight to delight in; Confounding, astounding, Dizzying and deafening the ear with its sound. Collecting, projecting, Receding and speeding, And shocking and rocking, And darting and parting. And threading and spreading, And whizzing and hissing, And dripping and skipping, And hitting and splitting, And shining and twining, And rattling and battling, And shaking and quaking, And pouring and roaring, And waving and raving, And tossing and crossing, And glittering and frittering, And thundering and floundering; Dividing and gliding and sliding, Retreating and beating and meeting and sheeting, And gleaming and streaming and steaming and beaming, ROBERT SOUTHEY. RAILROAD RHYME Singing through the forests, Rattling over ridges; Shooting under arches, Rumbling over bridges; Whizzing through the mountains, Buzzing o'er the vale,- Riding on the rail! Men of different "stations" In the eye of fame, Here are very quickly Coming to the same; High and lowly people, Birds of every feather, On a common level, Traveling together. Gentleman in shorts, Looming very tall; Gentleman at large, Talking very small; Gentleman in tights, With a loose-ish mien; Gentleman in gray, Looking rather green; Gentleman quite old, Asking for the news; Sober as a vicar; Dreadfully in liquor! Stranger on the right Looking very sunny, Obviously reading Something very funny. Now the smiles are thicker, Wonder what they mean! Faith, he's got the Knicker Bocker Magazine! Stranger on the left Closing up his peepers; Now he snores amain, Like the Seven Sleepers; At his feet a volume Gives the explanation, From "Association!" Ancient maiden lady Anxiously remarks |