Plea For More Attention To Children’s Speech Training

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27404, 17 July 1954, Page 2

Plea For More Attention To Children’s Speech Training

tiEWS FOR WOMEN

Miss Nancy Caughley, lecturer in speech training at the Christchurch Teachers’ College, was the speaker at a general meeting of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Women Teachers’ Association in the college common room last evening. “I feel that there are signs of a revival of interest in speech, as in ‘ music, due perhaps to the radio and Ito recording apparatus, and this is reflected in the schools,” said Miss Caughley. “We are finding a greater demand for assistance with speech • i education in the schools.”

Miss Caughley said she considered (that speech training was a part of a child’s education that had been ne»gleet ed in the past. Teachers had de- | pended more on the language of the I’eye, the written word, than on the language of the ear, the spoken word; and the same system had been pursued in the training of teachers. Many of them were anxious to give speech training, but lacked confidence in their ability to do so. and tended to avoid the subject. ' Speech, Miss Caughley claimed, was lone of the easiest subject to teach. If the method of teaching was imaginative and interesting, the children I loved it and responded readily, she I said. She found that this was true of . children of almost any age. But it was essential to maintain the enjoyment; the teaching must be positive and constructive; and the teacher must build upon the child’s good points, and not emphasise his faults. Speech training was not. as many persons thought, a matter of training children to make pleasing sounds, she

said. It concerned the whole art of expressing oneself in speech. Consequently, it was concerned witn vocabulary, with subject matter, and with an appreciation of words. It was. in short, a part of education that trained a race of people to be articulate, to be able to propose a vote of thanks properly, or make a plain statement at a meeting. Dealing with the teaching of speech in schools, Miss Caughley said that speech was linked with other subjects such as movement and music, especially singing. Speech and singing were different aspects of the same subject Dealing with what she termed applied speech, Miss Caughley said this included impromptu speaking, acting for children, puppetry, glove puppets, and verse speaking. All these methods of speech training were linked with the reading of good literature, with the object of enabling the pupils to express their ideas and personality in an effective way, said Miss Caughley. “I feel this is one of our first duties to a child in school, and I do make a plea for more interest to be taken in speech training in schools, colleges, and universities,” she said. “There is no special department for speech in the University of New Zealand, nor in some of the teachers’ colleges, nor in adult education centres, as there is in America, where much more attention is devoted to the subject.” Third-year students of the Teachers’ College illustrated some aspects of speech work at the meeting. A display of books on speech, lent by a firm of booksellers, proved of much interest.

CURRENT NOTES Mr and Mrs A. K. Firth and Miss Barbara Firth, formerly of Circuit street, who left Christchurch towards the end of last year to make their home in England have now settled in Dorset. Dr. and Mrs W. H. Olds, of Gore, arrived in Christchurch last evening to pay a short visit to Dr. Olds’s parents, Mr and Mrs W. E. Olds, Avonside. The New Zealand women’s Tasman Cup golf team left Auckland by air yesterday for Brisbane. They are Mrs R. F. Hutchinson (manager). Miss D. Blundell, Miss C. Collier, Mrs H. C. McDiarmid, Miss A. Nash, and Mrs R. Purdon (formerly Miss Margaret Hughes). Miss Wigram (Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia) is paying a visit to Lady Wigram, Park terrace. She last visited Christchurch about seven years ago. Members of the Irwell Country Women’s Institute, who will leave on Monday for Wellington to attend the biennial conference are Mesdames W. Johnson (delegate), A. Coles, R. Kendall, N. Schmack and D. Hight Mrs H. Sturge presided at the July meeting of the Spreydon sub-centre of the Red Cross Society. A competition was won by Mrs Hesselyn. Mrs H. Sturge was the guest speaker. Members of the Spreydon sub-centre of the Red Cross Society, and their friends spent an enjoyable afternoon recently at the home of Mrs R. Sewell, Spreydon, to help raise funds for the sponsoring of the French child. Songs were sung by Mrs Spence, jnr., and recitations by Mrs Woodcock and Mrs McDonald. A competition was won by Mrs SewelL Mrs G. Sloane was in charge of the sales table. Mrs I. Wilcon was the accompanist. Mrs G. J. Garton presided at a meeting of the garden circle of the Home Economics Association. Mr W. J. Humm, the guest speaker, spoke on the system of plant “motherhood.” Mr Humm judged the competition exhibits as follows:—Mrs Inwood, four firsts; Mrs Moon, three seconds; Miss Conway, one second, and two thirds. The hostesses were Mrs Dix and Miss Mitchell Mrs C. Plumridge presided at a recent meeting of the Christchurch Area Federation of Townswomen’s Guilds. She accepted nomination as a delegate to the Dominion executive Mrs C. Muschamp and Mrs Dawson were elected delegates from the area to the annual conference to be held in Wellington in September. Mrs H. Prebble, chairman, and Mrs M. Davis, secretary, were re-elected to office at the annual meeting of the district co-ordinating committee of

Country Women’s Institutes and Women’s Division of Federated Farmers. Other elected members of the committee are Mesdames W. Johnson, W, Pattison, Hope, H. Wagner, D. W’aghorn, and J. Lang. The report stated that millinery and cake decoration classes had proved popular, and several groups in the country were at present receiving instruction in these subjects. Ten groups were at present occupied with dressmaking classes. The Young Contingent of the Victoria League entertained their friends and members of the Middle Watch of the Navy League at an early evening gathering at Elizabeth House yesterday. Mr A. R. Guthrey screened films of his visit to Britain and Europe. Later the members of the Middle Watch were hostesses at an indoorskating party. Wellington and Hutt Girl Guides during a “work day” earlier this month earned £453, which they have given to the Harry Squires Memorial Home Fund Appeal. The Rev. Harry Squires was a city missioner in Wellington and the proposed home for the aged will be erected to his memory. “Colour and Design” (Interiors) wish to announce that they are now taking orders for individual lampshades and will give advice on colour and furnishing schemes. You will find them on the 3rd floor (take the lift) of the C.M.L. Building, Cathedral square. ’Phone 77-412. Advt. Victoria League Morning Tea. Beath’s Grey Room, Wednesday, July 21, at 10.30 a.m. Guest speaker: Professor R. Yingling. Advt. Overseas milliner model hats by “KAY-MAR.” Renovations, large fittings. 464 Papanui road. ’Phone 49-301. Advt. On Monday morning ther? will be further bargains at YVETTE Gowns' Winter Sale. 175 Manchester street (just around the corner from Cashel street). Advt. The monthly meeting of the Christchurch branch of the Family Planning Association will be held on Wednesday, July 21, at 7.45 p.nr, at Chamber of Commerce. Dr. E. ’Mears will speak on Sub-Fertility. All interested invited. Advt. Be sure to visit the Art Exhibition showing from 9.30 to 5 week days, in Overseas League Rooms, Whitcombe’s Building. Take lift in the Cashel street entrance to second floor. Paintings by Cranleigh Barton, Dorothy Patterson, Florence Nicholls. Advt “Flowers and Wreaths by Wire” anywhere. Bunt’s, the Telegraph Florist, State Theatre Building.

Being in the low rent area allows a low profit policy at “Stevens Diamond Mine,” where all goods, including Engagement and Wedding Rings, are so reasonably priced. There are many qualities in diamonds, and the public is invited to compare the brilliant sparkle of their rings with all others in New Zealand. This bright little shop is situated at 111 and 113 Gloucester street, two doors from Hay’s. Adv.

VICTORIA LEAGUE PARTY OVERSEAS VISITORS WELCOMED A very pleasant afternoon party was given yesterday at Elizabeth House by the committee of the Victoria League to welcome to Christchurch some overseas visitors, among whom were members of the Victoria League in other countries. They were welcomed by Mrs Redmond Neill (vice-president of the league) and had much to tell of their travels and of their own countries. The visitors included Mrs R. Yingling, wife of Professor Yingling, of Connecticut University, who is a Fulbright scholar at present on the staff of Canterbury University College, and Miss Wigram, a cousin of the late Sir Henry Wigram, who lives in Bulawayo where, she says, the Victoria League is a very active organisation. Another visitor was Mrs Fraser, of Harrogate, England, where during the war, she was engaged on patriotic work for the Victoria League. More recently she has visited South Africa, Cyprus, Egypt, Ceylon and Australia and is now spending some time in Christchurch. A strong supporter of the league, Mrs Trew, who with Colonel M. F. Trew, late of the Coldstream Guards, has come from England to make her home in Christchurch, also received a warm welcome to the gathering, which was very friendly and quite infortnal.