Teaching Language arTs in The WaLdorf schooL

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Language Arts Compendium
of no consequence. The training of memory can be accomplished in
subjects other than storytelling, as I will describe.
29. Temperament and Voice Range
[Kingdom of Childhood, pp. 63-65.]
Dr. Steiner: The teachers will understand their students better because
each teacher will remain with his or her class. We must continue to
work in this direction and use those things we discussed in the teachers’
seminar. When you can properly judge a child’s temperament,
everything will come of itself. You should work toward reflecting
the child’s temperament in the sound of your voice when you call
the child.
A teacher: I believe I have perceived a relationship between the phlegmatic
children and a deep voice, the sanguine children and a middle
tone, and a higher voice with the cholerics. Is that correct?
Dr. Steiner: That is certainly true with the first two. The question
regarding the higher voices is rather interesting. In general, it is true
that phlegmatics have lower voices and the melancholic and sanguine
children, middle tones. The sanguine children are among the highest
voices. The choleric children spread out over all three. There must be
some particular reason. Do you thing that tenors are mostly choleric?
Certainly on the stage. The choleric element spreads out everywhere.
[Faculty Meetings with Rudolf Steiner, pp. 72, 90.]
30. Speech Exercises for Teachers from Discussions with Teachers
Rudolf Steiner: It is most important that, along with all our other
work, we should cultivate clear articulation. This has a kind of influence,
a certain effect. I have here some sentences that I formulated
for another occasion; they have no especially profound meaning, but
are constructed so that the speech organs are activated in every kind
of movement, organically. I would like you to pass these sentences
around and repeat them in turn without embarrassment so that by
constant practice they may make our speech organs flexible; we can
have these organs do gymnastics, so to speak. Mrs. Steiner will say