poor physical condition, and often induce sympathetic attacks in others who hear the one attempting to talk. There are many "systems" by which cures are "guaranteed." But the late Sir Morrell Mackenzie declared that nothing can be done for a stammerer unless he learn to use his breath properly—that is, under the direction of a master of the subject, and that "it is questionable whether there is any radical or permanent remedy except in the slighter cases" for the stutterer. Some help may be given by the professional who thoroughly understands the physiology and functions of the throat and tongue. But the school teacher can hardly be expected to do more than prevent aggravating excitement and insist on such a standard of perfection as the child is capable of reaching. It is positively harmful to insist on a child's trying to read or speak until the paroxysm has passed. Often concert work in reading, calisthenics, and singing are temporarily helpful.

Dentition and Changing Voice

Two physiological changes that enter into the life of the child more or less interfere with the reading work of the school, dentition and change of voice. Most children have little trouble in speaking while growing new teeth, though some find it exceedingly difficult to pronounce certain sounds. The teacher's main care at this time is to see that the child does not form bad habits of pronunciation that persist after the cause for them is removed. The period

of voice change is attended by so many other physiological and nervous changes that it is a most trying time for both teacher and pupil. There is no danger of a child's injuring his voice at this time in the reading class, or even in shouting at play, for that matter, so that fear need never be an excuse for his not reading. But it is easy to appreciate the embarrassment, especially of the boy, when the voice "breaks" and refuses to utter the sound intended. Much tact and firmness to prevent ridicule from other pupils, and charity that makes allowances for a failure to give expected shadings to tones, are all that the teacher needs for passing through this crisis with the pupil.

It is far better and easier to form good habits than it is to correct bad ones. Any intelligent teacher knows, especially if he is experienced with children, what sounds will cause trouble. If he will take pains to teach the correct enunciation of these sounds and then to drill on them, he will make his future tasks easier in every respect.

Drill

Strange as it may seem, we acknowledge the importance of drill in practically everything except this most common and necessary function, the use of the human voice in speech. When a girl begins to take singing lessons, she as a matter of course undertakes interminable practice as well. Only after she has mastered at least some of the elements of tone production does the teacher permit her to sing

songs. But few of us sing; whereas all of us talk. And if we are to talk well, we must practice, practice, practice on the correct formation of sounds, crisp enunciation of them, and conventional pronunciation. Most people do not know how they should do these things, and if they did they would need a teacher to keep them at their drills. The price of improvement is drill, and for this the teacher is largely responsible.

Vowel Sounds

In the intermediate and grammar grades children should get purer vowel sounds than they have been accustomed to use, carefully distinguishing at least the elementary sounds as indicated by all dictionaries. In the unabridged dictionaries there is a discussion of these sounds which will help the teacher to understand the physiology involved in their utterance. Practice should be given, for only a few minutes at a time, until pure tones are got, both alone and in simple words.*

Among many children the most serious difficulty is found with the short vowel sounds, e, i, o, there being an especially strong tendency to confuse the first two and to give o as ǎ or aw. Be sure that the children understand the simple sound and then give drills on such words as—

* Corson, in "The Voice and Spiritual Education, p. 75, declares that the music of speech is chiefly in the vowels,

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"' and that one

great secret in forcible speech is that all the force be thrown upon the vowels.''

Of course these lists can be infinitely extended by the teacher, and he may call on the children for help. Especially must the teacher be on the lookout for other vowel sounds that need attention.

Consonants

Then there are hard combinations of consonants and vowels* which need drill that they may escape the mouth without embarrassment. Such combinations are italicized in the words given below. These words, and others containing similar combinations, may be used for drill: ebb'd, robb'dst, bubble,

* An extended list of these is given in Kofler's "Art of Breathing," pp. 235-240. Credit should be given for the list here re corded.

doubl'd, bubbles, robes, handles, burd'n'd, hadst breadths, fledg'd, soft, twelfth, struggl'd, sparkl'd, sixth, sect, respects, sylphs, healths, triumph'd, tempts, strength, precincts, hyacinths, precepts, depths, world, warmth, bursts, earths, shrunk, less'n'd, lisps, grasp'd, strive, tastes, faiths, breath'd, bathes, snatch'dst, prisms, whistl❜d.

Almost all words ending in -s, -d, -ed, or -t, -ing, -r, are profitable for practice, many people clipping the words before fully giving these sounds. At first the drill on these words needs be slow, so that the final consonant may be fully uttered. The failure to finish such words, as well as others, often shows itself in the child's spelling. When he writes ask for asks, or ast for asked, probably he records just what he says.

From the lessons and the everyday talk of the children the teacher can easily make a list of words and phrases that are commonly slurred. Not only should these be practiced until easily enunciated, but the children should constantly be held up to the standard set by the drill. Illustrative are: geography, physiology, orthography, arithmetic, history,