Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-18
ORGANIZES BAND
FOR WEAK MINDED
New York Teacher Forms Musical
Organization for Defec-
tive Children
YOUNGSTERS ACT FUNNY
Little Players Think Instructor
Cannot Hear Them When
They Hide

NEW YORK, July 1.-THE door of a
room at public school No. 15 in Fifth
street is marked simply: Miss An
derson, Ungraded Glass" Yet in this
room you will find the only public
school band for defective children in
the country.
"I experiment" said Miss Anderson,
when asked about her method. ut is
the only way. What does for one
child won't do for another.
"Of course, l studied at Vineland and
have done great deal of work in
psychology, but the best knowledge
comes through the children themselves.
They don't mean to be bad" she
laughingly added, as she rescued the
youngest, who was engaged in scaling
the steam pipes.
Band work helps to develop their
lungs and teaches them facial control.
Am I musicale" she laughed again,
mo, I didn't know thing about the
work, but Mr. Huyler and another
friend gave us the instruments and l
picked up enough to teach the boys.
1t is so funny. They cannot realize
that if l do not see them I can st1ll
hear them. One little fellow craWled
under a bench and kept blowing away.
He didn't mean to be bad, he just
didn't know. 5000
"Who wants to play?" she said, turn
ing to the class. II never urge them.
1t makes them nervous if they are not
in the humor." Eight out of the FOUR
teen in the class play in the band Dut
only four volunteered, but by the time
the instruments were taken out tney
were all ready. The music to be played
was on a large chart and underneath
the notes were the numbers OF the
stops. The first tune was America,
and then BELLS on Her ringers Al
times there was some pretty hara
nuffing, but they were small boys. g.
The work of the year was hanging
on the wall Each month Miss Ander-
son takes some definite idea and cor
relates all the work with 1t. In FEB
ruary they had studie Lincoln and
made small log cabins. Carpentry
seems to appeal to them. In one cor
ner of the room was bench and the
cupboard below was filled with tools;
providence seems to take care or
them" said Miss Anderson, when the
Youngest commenced some very wild
saving. 81 never worry about them
any more. I never say don't do this
or that, but try to put some other
idea in their head"
All around the room were baskets
of raffia and painted DOXeS OF WOou
which they had made during the year.
"The designs on some of them are
really very good" she explained, but
they must do 1t all in their own way,
"The first thing in the morning we
gather around in Il circle and have
our morning talk. Then everything
through the day hinges on this. one
morning we made butter, and this IS
the language lesson written on it. You
can see how much harder 1t is for
some others to form the characters.
At first everything has to be big
flowing movement, and from that we
work down to the letters. Still, If
I get one idea from them it means so
much. Even if they pick up piece
of paper it is a step in advance
"They all want 20 do things for me,
she explained as the oldest boy vol
UNFAIRLY took off his coat and loaped
1t to a smaller one who needed 1t in
the little dialogue.
"I play basketball with them and we
have even gone out in the winter and
had SNOWFALL fights. Last year we
made a big sled here in the classroom
and went out and used it. Nearly al
Ways their eyes are in a bad condition
and I take them to the hospital at
regular intervals and have them at
tended to. Some whom I have found
homeless | have had to put away in
institutions, but it is very hard for
their parents to let them go"