PREFACE
The intensification of the course of study in shorthand departments of both public and private schools has resulted in a happy welding of theory with speed practice. This has meant a "scrapping" of the old methods of instruction which were based upon the idea of a distinct separation of the theory work from the advanced.
Speed Studies is intended to give practical effect to this modern tendency. It is an effort to put into teachable form the principles outlined by me in two addresses which were delivered before educational associations on "The Application of Modern Efficiency Principles to the Teaching of Shorthand." While it breaks new ground so far as shorthand textbooks and practice books are concerned, everything contained in it has been proved by the acid test of my own classroom experience.
In planning the "studies" preceding each section of the book, the method adopted by the great industries in developing efficiency has been followed. Just as the best method of performing any mechanical operation is first established in a factory by scientific test, and each new workman is required to conform to that method, so in this plan of teaching advanced shorthand, we endeavor from the first to teach the student the best possible way of writing shorthand. He is taught the correct posture for writing, the correct manner of holding his pen, the correct manner of turning the pages, the quickest and easiest way to make the various combinations, the importance of compactness in writing, to make rapid transitions between the forms, and to eliminate what Herbert Spencer called "unregistered movements of the pen."
An examination of the book will, I believe, disclose many notable contributions to the pedagogy of shorthand; but the two outstanding features are:
First, the presentation of practice material in its shorthand form, instead of in print as is done in most dictation books.
Second, the development of a large and varied writing vocabulary through the unique plan of incorporating vocabulary drills with the work in dictation.
The first of these features can hardly be overemphasized. Much observation in teaching shorthand has convinced me that the best results are obtained through the reading of shorthand. The reasons may be summarized briefly:
1. The student is more interested in reading shorthand than in reading print, and interest in a subject is of the first importance in securing results.
2. As he may be called upon to read the shorthand notes at any point in the assignment, he will naturally give more time to preparing himself to read fluently.iii
