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OUT OF THE hOUTHS OF RABHo
A FIRST GRADE1S EXPERIENCE WITH
G HOR AL SPHKIN G
by
Florene L. Simoson
47798
Submit ted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Haster of Science degree in Education at the
New Jersey State Teachers College at Newark
August, 1951
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UMI Number: EP12189
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Preface.................................... i
2. Background and history of choral speaking...........i
5. Values of choral speaking in the grades.............7
4. The teacher's role in choral speaking..............15
5. Types of choral speaking suited to first grade . . .19
6. sampling of types of poems presented to the
first grade class................................... 22
7. A first grade's experience v.ith choral speaking. . .26
8. Evaluations ana outcomes.......................... 38
9. Bibliography.......................................50
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i
PREFACE
speech is a fundamental part of our living, so
fundamental that the manner in which one speaks is
usually a reflection of the manner in which one lives,
•therefore, speech study develops not only social
poise, hut a more desirable, pleasant personality.1
Today v,:e live in a world of speech. There is
opportunity for ail to exchange ideas through the media of
telephone, radio, television, theater,and conversation it
self. People are becoming more speech conscious. They are
beginning to realize that our language is musically
beautiful if spoken correctly! Shouldn’t it be our task
as teachers to have children become aware of its power and
beauty?
A child's personality is reflected in his speech. His
choice of words, intonation, resonance, grammatical con
struction, dialect or accent — all combine to form his
speech pattern. How can a child be expected to speak with
clarity of expression if he isn’t given a clear understanding
end basis for good speech?
"*" * Celeste V. Dodd, Our Speech, half-title page.
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Although children have begun to talk before
they enter school they go right on learning to
talk better or worse as long as they live. Only
tnrough a systematic, orderly course of conscious
speech education can children be taught to talk
better.l
Every listener enjoys hearing a v/ell-modulated voice
that aas beauty of tone-quality, resonance, clear diction
with vowels that are well rounded, and consonants that
are clean-cut end crisp. affectation is offensive and
therefore undesirable. Vie, as teachers, strive to
inculcate in a child tnese basic fundamentals so that his
speech V:ill be natural and sincere.
Effective speech education requires a teacher
who understands speech not only as a linguistic
habit but as form of social activity as well.2
Choral speaking is an effective way for children to
speak together. Yet is it practical and can it Improve a
child’s every-day speech? It Is the purpose of the author
of this paper to justify her use of choral speaking as a
means of speech improvement.
Carrie S* Rasmussen, S-peech hethods in the Elementary
Echool, p. 5.
^* Dept, of Elementary Echool Principals Bulletin, The
Role of Epeech in the Elementary School, Washington,
D.C., National Education Association, 1946-47, p.3-4.
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i i i
Six years ago, during a Language Arts class, Dr. 3hea,l
knowing ray rausical background, asked if I bad ever attempted
choral speaking with, either my first grade or with the upper
grade glee club members. Upon ray negative reply, Dr. Shea
wondered if I would be interested in experimenting with
various poems with my first graders, and then in giving a
demonstration for the Language Arts class. Imagine giving
a demonstration of some thing you have never before attonpredl
by first venture with the children proved that they
loved it. At last they were actually living their poems as
well as speaking them, iheir little faces glowed with inter
est and enthusiasm.
Thanks to Dr. Shea, my class was launched in a unique,
exciting field. Each successive year a new class has opened
anotrier of choral speakings' seemingly innumerable doors.
In addition to developing; a love for poetry and helping
tne timid child to gain self-confidence, I am of the opinion
taat choral speaking improves everyone's speech.
It is my aim and purpose to experiment with my 1950
class to prove beyond a doubt, by means of recordings, that
liar ion D. 3 he a, English Dept. Hew jersey State Teachers
College, Newark, hew Jersey.
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