(b) Inhale ten counts again, hold breath five counts, exhale ten counts. Repeat five times.
(c) Inhale slightly, then purse lips to impede the air as it passes out; now give one short puff with spasmodic contraction of abdomen. Repeat five times, inhaling slightly before each puff.
(d) Inhale deeply, then give one long puff with continuous contraction of the abdomen. Repeat five times, inhaling deeply before each puff.
3. Tone production should follow breathing exercises.
(a) Count orally 1-1-1-1-1 with spasmodic abdominal contraction. Repeat five times. Be sure that breath is taken in after each count.
(b) Count orally 1-1-1-1-1 with continuous abdominal contraction. Repeat five times.
(c) Inhale deeply and count orally 1 to 10, stressing every other count. Some students cannot do this unless the teacher keeps time with ruler as a baton, striking some object. Others can only do this by walking slowly, repeating a count on every other footfall. Repeat five times.
(d) Select a lyric with marked rhythm and read in concert in sing-song style. Repeat each stanza five times, giving marked pulsation to each accented syllable. Tennyson’s “Song of the Brook” is especially good for this purpose.
(e) Take a simple prose selection and mark it off in thought groups, and then read slowly and measuredly in concert, giving a fairly long pause between each group. Hamlet’s “Instructions to the Players,” and Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” are splendid for such work.
When the defective has learned to speak fluently memorized work, then he should be taught confidence in simple conversational exercises. This work should be, so far as possible, voluntary on the part of the pupil. Let the class form a circle, each one sitting with a sense of ease and relaxation and then, as they are inclined, take part in conversing on some simple, interesting topic. Some will have to be urged to participate while others find great delight in such work.