Speaking Clearly to Children
How Not to Talk to Children.—For certain public speakers to address children is a difficult task. They are either silly in their simplicity, or learned in their language or subject. The following incidents plainly show how not to talk to children: A minister of New York was about to teach a class of children in the Assembly’s Catechism. He said to them: “Before we begin to study the catechism it becomes necessary for us to know what a catechism is. What is a catechism? A catechism is a synopsis, a compendium, a syllabus of Christian doctrine.” A distinguished naturalist determined to teach a little boy some parts in natural history. He began with the definition of protoplasm. In answer to the question, “What is Protoplasm?”, he taught him to say, “Protoplasm, physiologically, is contractile; chemically, it is nitrogenous.” These instances prove the wisdom of a rule which a Doctor of Divinity of the State of Maine laid down in reference to addressing children. His rule, as expressed in his own language, is: “In speaking to children, you should always use monosyllabic words.”—Sel.