Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-08-12
Scenes In a Deaf Mute School.

A BosToN correspondent of the Wor-
cester Spy gives this interesting account
OF the public deaf mute school in that
city, where articulation is taught:
One of the public schools here is for
deaf and dumb children. 1t was estab.
lished last autumn, and the results of the
SIX months teaching are encouraging to
the teachers, and astonishing to outsiders.
There are between thirty and forty pu-
pills, girls and boys, from six years old to
sixteen. Some were born deaf and dumb I;
some became so while they were mere
babies, and few had learned to talk and
read little before they lost their hearing.
a few of them had received instruction
previously at Hartford, or some other in.
stitution; but large majority came to
this school knowing not even their let
ters, and having no means, excepting nat
ural signs, of communicating with each
other. Here signs are not allowed, and
the children are taught to articulate. The
method of instruction is very interesting,
and must require almost superhuman pa
tience in the teachers. First the alphabet
is thoroughly taught. With large chart
on one easel and blackboard on another,
the teacher begins with those unfortunate
pupils who cannot hear sound she
makes. She points to letter, A for in
stance, and says it over and over again,
showing the children how the lips form
it, placing their fingers on their throat
that they may feel the organ there, and
the motion when she articulates the
letter, sho wing them how to fill their
lungs and to make a sound then the let
ter is written in its varying forms, capi
tai, small, writing and printing; and SO
letter after letter is taught until the al
nh hGt 20 -
words and sentences, taught in the same
slow, patient way. There is nothing
more interesting or more touching than
to watch lesson given to one Of these
children. The teacher wishes to teach
the child the words ION" and under"
She places book on chair, looks into
the childs face, who has already learned
book and Chair, and tells him to say
these words. He says them, and in a
strange voice, but still quite plainly, and
touches them as he speaks Then the
teacher laying the book on the chair,
says ION, on" until the child repeats il
then placing the book under the chair,
makes him say under then she writes
both words on the black board that he
may spell them, and he writes them after
wards (reading, spelling and writing are
taught at the same time in this way) she
then gives him an exercise, speaking as
she would to child that can hear, "Put
your slate on the table," put your hat
under the table," and so on. The
child repeats each sentence after her, and
then does the thing required -often MAX
ing mistakes, but trying until he under
stands and succeeds.
The eagerness in young faces, the
strained attention, the whole soul in the
n Iyh IOh orr AxvnI al, G.I
intentness upon the teachers lips the
struggle for speech; the passionate de
light at success, when the teacher says
right" are strangely pathetic. 1t seems
as If some peculiar character were needed
for such teaching, and this school is fortu-
nate IN its teachers. The four ladies have
AL, from various reasons, been interested
for years in the teaching of the deaf and
dumb, and when this school was opened,
intense sympathy with this form of afflic.
tlon led them to undertake this work
rather Than something more easy and
pleasant. They seem to have infinite pa.
tience with the poor little creatures who
have such fearful difficulties to contend
With they have real enthusiasm in the
work, and entire faith In it's success and
they have reason for their faith, for al
ready they are teaching arithmetic and
geography 1t is wonderful to see class
called up before the blackboard ON which
are written 6lty words without connec-
zion, and each scholar in turn takes
the poipterAnd INDICATES the word the
teacher speaks. There are no signs; she
speaks rs she would to any other GLASS;
with perhaps little more emphatic enunl
citation, and q little more pronounced
movement Of the lips every eye is fixed
upon her face, and when she has spoken
thsword, every eye is turned on the
blackboard, and If the hoy there has failed
to understand, 1, and points to the wrong
word, the little hands go up eagerly to
correct the misbakee Then the,blacR board
is cleaned, and they write words and sen.
tences from dic,ation. They learn very
quickly TO understand the motion of the
lips, and those who articulate most dis
tinctly are able TO talk little with their
teachers. Having once seen this school it
isimposAibleI to forget it; and one goes to
It again and again to assure ones self that
1t is real that it is no tale of magic, but
that such wonders are really done by the |
devotion, patience, and sweet
ness of four young ladies who give their
4ehrts 70 these unfortunate children. ~
THE, PHRENoIoeIoAL JOURNAL AND |
PkokARD's MONTHLY for August makes Its appear |
anoe somewhat later than usual, on account Of d |
fro which occurred inlthe Building where II is put
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