The _understanding of single words_, especially of single questions and
commands, is considerably more prompt than in the previous month.
Without there being any sort of explanation for it, this extraordinary
understanding is here, manifesting itself particularly when the child is
requested to fetch and carry all sorts of things. He has observed and
touched a great deal, has listened less, except when spoken to. All
training in tricks and performances, an evil in the modern education of
children hard to avoid, was, however, suppressed as far as possible, so
that the only new things were "making a bow" and "kissing the hand." The
child practices both of these toward the end of the month, without
direction, at coming and going. Many new objects, such as window, bed,
knife, plate, cigar, his own teeth and thumbs, are correctly pointed
out, if only the corresponding word is distinctly pronounced. Yet "Ofen"
and "oben" are still confounded.
To put into written form the syllables invented by the child
independently, and to get at a sure denotation of objects by them, is
exceedingly difficult, particularly when the syllables are merely
whispered as the objects are touched, which frequently occurs. At the
sight of things rolled noisily, especially of things whirling in a
circle, the child would utter _rodi_, _otto_, _rojo_, and like sounds,
in general, very indistinctly. Only _one_ new concept could with
certainty be proved to be associated with a particular sound.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206