The Opelousas courier., 1886-07-03
SIGHTLESS EYES,.
TEACHING BLIND CHILDREN IN
AN ASYLUM.
learning to Write-First Steps in
School Work-How the Blind
Study Music-Teaching In
dustrial Pursuits.

The New York Asylum for the Blind
las been visited by a Herald reporter,
Who writes about the instruction of the
ightless children there as follows:
The youngest children first receive the
kindergarten training, and their fingers
quickly learn to shape the wooden blocks
o geometrical figures. They learn to
cad also by the point system, especially
invented for the blind by Professor
Waite, the Superintendent of the institu-
ion. This system requires the use of
Tass states with groved surfaces. A
;rossbar three lines in width fits down
,Ver these bars as a guide to the stylus.
every crossbar is divided into squares.
The paper fits between the slate and the
rossbar, and the pupil, guided by the
quares, makes the points in the grooves
With a small stylus. An alphabet of
points is arranged, and in this manner
very pupil learns to write. One peeu-
iarity of this writing is that it is exc
Mted from right to left, but when taken
out from the slate it is reversed so that
The points may be quickly felt by the finger
lips, and is then read from left to right.
Another slate is used in the class rooms
occupied by the older pupils, who learn
20 read and write in the comman English
form also. This slate has no crossbars,
out the grooves are much wider and
guide the pupil in writing and printing.
A slate for the arithmetic classes is di-
vided into small square cells, like a
honeycomb, and is made of steel. Types
with faces of T, V, l. and blank, respec-
lively, are used. The first two can each
De turned in four different direction, and
his supplies eight numerals. These
types, skilfully handed, are set in their
squares and used to demonstrate prob
ems with great precision aud accuracy.
The first step in their school work is
earning to read, spell and write by the
point system. The child then writes down
all his lessons from dictation and studies
with his fingers. The work in the geo.
graphy class-rooms is particularly inter
sstlng, as the maps are cut int blocks
with raised surfaces and the children are
taught to put them together.
The most important branch of instruc-
lion is the musical department, in which
vocal music, piano and organ playing arc
taught, and each pupil is thoroughly
trained. 1t is intended to fit the pupils
for teaching, SO that they may be pre-
pared to support themselves when they
leave the institution. The work begins
with the youngest children, when for an
hour in the afternoon they are gathered
into a classroom and taughl the rudi-
ments of vocal music. Time keeping.
scale singing, with the meaning of musi-
cal terms, are the first steps; then the
singing of simple melodies begins. Upon
this follows, as the pupil advances in his
literary classes and is able to make use
Of the point s,-stem, the reading of music-
All music for the blind must be trans
lated into point writing. The pupil usu-
ally writes it himte elf from dictation, and
then going to the piano memories first
the treble, then the bass, taking a bar at
a time, and then putting them together.
While reading with the fingers of the left
hand, he runs readily over the chords
and melodies with his right, and then
vice versa. In, this method Of study the
ear is more quickly and thoroughly cul-
tivated than in pupils who use their eyes,
as the ear ard memory, and not the eyes
and printed notes, must be depended
upon. It is exceptionally interesting to
watch one of these intelligentfi little pupils
master a difficult bar. With mind en-
crossed and listening intently, he runs
the fingers of his left hand quickly across
che page of point-print music, and with
his right follows on the keys. Again and
again he plays it till the tune and ex-
preston are perfect: then, reversing
hands, he memories the base. and then
triumphantly puts them together.
Besides the music class-rooms there
are a number of small rooms, each con
tanning a piano, where the pupils demon
strate the PRINCIPLES taught in class.
Other small rooms are used to teach the
pupils to tune pianos.
The class work with blind pupils is
necessarily quite different from that with
pupils who read from ordinary print;
but it is non the less thorough. Thor
ough bass is taught in classes, each pupil
being called to the piano in turn, and
while he illustrates the different forms of
chords the c'ass follows him, describing
each chord and naming the notes from
the sound.
To the visitor no part of this institution
is more attractive or interesting than the
industrial department. The girls are
taught plain sewing, machine work of
Ill kinds, crocheting and knitting in all
their multiplicity of stitches and designs,
machine knitting and rug making. The
work-room is long and sunny and pleas
antly furnished. Through the centre Of
it is a row of sewing machines and work
tables, and beyond them another row of
knitting machines. The operators bend
over their machines as naturally as though
their eyes were not sightIess, But here
again the sensitive finger tips are made
to do the work of eyes. The machines
are threaded and run as quickly and cor
rectly as any one could do it by sight.
By the sense of touch the work is guided
through the machine and then receives
the finishing stitches with the needle. At
the knitting machines the yarns are set
by counting the needles and memorizing
the stitches. One cannot help thinking
what pleasure it would give them could
they see the beautiful work Of their own
nhSSis WHICH, u ~ completed.
Lace, jackets, shawls, skirts, underwear
and hosiery are knit here. Around the
walls of the room sit the girls who are
learning to crochet Each stitch is first
committed to memory and then executed,
guiding the thread and hooks by the
sense Of touch. One bright little girl of
twelve years of age was crochcting lace
of 100 hnen-one of the finest threads
made. The pattern was a shell and Leaf,
and every stitch was perfectly done-a
thing which is not ALWAYS the case with |