New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-13
TRAINS DEFECTIVE TOTS
N. Y. u. Maintains Model School
for the Benefit of Teachers.
FIRST COMPLETE COURSE
Aim Is to Enable Instructors to
Start Similar Glasses Where
They May Be Needed.

They May Be Needed.
| In this enlightened day and generation
there really are some ger uine advantages
| in being feeble-minded 1t least It would
seem so 10 one who is impressed with the
amount OF care given &c sub-normal chill
| dren In special schools There was mo-
ment Of uncertainty, however, when the
reporter for The Tribune who went IN 10
find out as much as possible about the New
York University's summer school for de-
fective children did not appreciate these
advantages. 1t was smooth sailing to
20 UP in the elevator TO TIE tenth floor and
| find the registrars office, but II was mo-
| mentarily dsconcerting 20 tell the courte-
| GUS assistant that you came 70 see about
the summer school for defective children,
and to have him promptly begin explaining
the conditions under which you might en-
! roll
OF course. when one remembers that the
school is not only for defective children,
but also for those who wish TO learn how
| TO teach them. the inference is not so I'M
compromsingly suggestive, but then one
doesn't always remember Just the right
| lillIlS dN tllS lltIlA illl4NbN' "'''
| are necessary.
Until this year" said Helen VI. Hamil-
| ton. director OF the model school. teach
ers who wished TO A. themselves for the
training Of backward ard detective chill
dren have had a hard time getting the de-
sired instruction. and have had to learn
some things In one place and go eisewhere
for other information
ITO supply this need the New York Uni
versity decided to have a model school
for defective children, where the teachers
| could get a good general course. our
school opened the last week in June, and
though It was announced only one week
/ beforehand We had hfty-six teachers APP
ply for the course, and many Of them are
! from other states.
we try 10 show them what can be done
even where conditions are not ideal. For
instance. in the morning when the whole
school assemblies together. We do not use
piano for music, but & monograph, be-
cause tho monograph can be procured al
most everywhere, and really the children
Ike II Just about as well
During that assembly We aim 10 have
the children do anything that they can
sorle OF them have contributed with har-
monicas. others can do nothing but make
an attempt, and whateve- they try 10 start
is taken as a beginning for our training
during the day
Then Miss Hamilton led the way into the
domestic science room wher" some little
girls were sewing and others were getting
ready to iron.
Here" she said. indicating the cupboard,
is the kind Of equipment we have The
cupboard is made o. boxes and covered
with paper, with muslin curtains in front
Il is the kind anybody can have In their
own kitchen practically without expense.
one Of our children exclaimed delghtedly
when she saw Il. Its Just like real
house" We fixed all these things and
organized the school after the normal stu
dents arrived, because many Of them may
have 10 start classes TO detectives where
none already exist. and We want them TO
know how 10 organize such classes and
prepare the equipment, as we'll as how TO
conduct them properly
From tho domestic science room II was
only few steps to the woodworking class.
Here the boys were using boxes as their
raw material for the same reasOn-that
they could get boxes almost any time for
themselves and they are taught - make
such simple things that they can make
them alone after the school IS closed
Small bracket shelves and foot rests were
among the most popular products Of their
industry.
Across the hall in large bright room.
an ungraded class was being taught arith-
metlc after a system adopted Dy Miss Jane
esr n
The teacher OF this class followed the spirit
that pervsded the whole school. that OF
commencing good work and overlooking
mistakes. When an answer Is given cor
rectly II Is written up on the board when
It is wrong II receives no attention.
Another room is for low grade children
who have 10 DO taught even the simplest
things that the normal child knows by
instinct Here the teacher was showing
two very small boys how TO toss and catch
big. soft ball. II was interesting TO
watch the pathetically vacant little faces
light up with happiness when their efforts
were at all successful
Watch their faces" said Miss Hamil-
ton. "and perhaps you will understand
something OF the Ease nation Of working
with these children. One gets an affection
for them that isn't TO be compared with
the affection for the ordinary child"
In this room Isadore. eight or nine years
old. but mentally not more than three. was
arranging colored blocks and demanding
applause when he placed them according TO
his fancy.
Still another room vas given over 10
manual training, and here the children
were weaving baskets
A few bright little faces contrasted with
the sad dulness Of others. and these. Miss
Hamilton explained were practically nor
NAL children, but were allowed TO remain
in the class because they gave the students
a chance TO see how differently normal and
sub-normaI children had TO be taught the
same thing.
In the special department for speech de-
fects an experiment fl being tried The
children are being trained exactly as II
they were deaf and dumb Miss Hamilton
makes no predictions as TO the result OF
such an experiment.
Upstairs, in a quiet and secluded room, |
DR.. Arnold L. Gessell, assistant professor
OF education at Yale University. applied |
the Binet test 10 a pair OF cunning little
girls whom the teachers suspected OF being
Monaghan" twins This does not mean
that they are in the least Oriental.
Monaghan" in the language OF the
psychological expert, Is person OF GER
tain kind OF mental deficiency which is
often accompanied by characteristic physi-
cal pecularities. one Of these being slant
ing eyes.
The twins. clad in festive white. with
large white hair rib oons, certainly had
adorable almond shaped eyes but they
managed, much TO the visitors relief. TO
pass the test we'll enough not TO be con-