Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-31

and the consequence is they intermarry and
their aff1 ;ction is transmitted to their Off
spring, SO that the statistics to-day actually
show that the deaf mutes are increasing In
number.
I'm regard to the education of the deaf in this
way" he continued, 1.-THE system ia not an un-
tired one. In 1873 organized day school in
the city Of Greenock, Scotland. and occupied a
room 10 the academy there. which contained,
should think upward of 2O0hearing children. In
this room the deaf children were taught by a
special articulation teacher. sent from America
Iney were caused to associate with the hearing
children In the academy in every way possible
They played with them In the playground and
joined them for instruction in such subjects as
writing. drawing, sewing. &c. The 81 cess of
TINS school has been 80 great that the board of
education has recently adopted it as a perma-
1ency, throwing. 1t open to all the
deaf children of Greenock and the sur
rounding towns. I visited the school
about year aIo, and found that all the deaf
pupils had formed many friends among the
hearing pupils of the academy. with whom they
vernacular use of the English language was
quite remarkable. especially when we consider
that they were either born deaf or had lost their
hearing in infancy"
DEAF CHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
81 expect" continued Mr.. Bell ''before long
to ask the board of school trustees of this city to
set apart rUom in one OF the public schools for
the instruction of deaf children"
''fhis feature of my present experiment I feel
well assured Will be a success, -" he remarked
confidently; but as to my method Of instruction,
the success Of that will be determined i'm time
l ain pursuing now what I consider the natural
method How is a young child taught to speak
GU don't begin to teach 1t sounds, then letters,
then words. do your No. That is not the way.
THE MOTHER TALKS TO 1T
whole sentences. and the child understands
what Is said long before 1t can speak, That is
what l am doing with these little children.
talk to them all sorts of nonsense on the board,
just such as you hear in the nursery. Well, the
hearing Child in his first efforts to speak, tries
to remember these sounds. and finally he sue
cees. But at. first imperfectly, and this period
OF Imperfect speech continues for long time
The hearing child uses his ears; in my school
the deaf Child will use his eyes. That is all the
difference. After have established commune
cation with the child. then will write the char
acters representing the sound Of the words on
the board l W IL speak the word Then the
Child sees with his eyes the form of the sound
just as the other Child hears it and
tries to initiate it. The Imitation is i'm
perfect Then, as the mother repeats words
and the child, after long practice attains the
correct pronunciation, so will I write on the
board the form OF the sound Of the word as in
correctly pronounced by the child. and then the
correct form. The child's eye sees the differ
ence between the false and the true sound and
tries to attain the latter. He succeeds lust as
truly as baby's prattle is changed bv const ant
practlceinto the correct forms of English speech
but you must come up and see the school for
Yourself after it has been in operation for some
time, said Mr.. Bell. with cordial SMILE as the
visitor took his departure.