Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-07-07
The difficulties in training

clean The difficulties in training
blind children are very great.
strangely, the industry in which the
blind seem to be most successful is
one which depends upon the accurate
employment of colors in harmonious
arrangement, the weaving of art fab
RIGS The education of the blind ia
yet III its infancy and the future will
see great strides in the way of educa-
| ton as well as in the matter of pre.
vention.
Teaching Requires Patience.
1t has been our endeavor to bring
about systematic and accurate teach
ing IN all departments of the school.
To provide for the educational needs
OF the talented, the mediocre and the
dull, requires patience. energy and
charity upon the part of all. We be-
lieve that the bright pupils are now
better provided for than they ever
nave intelligent help and attention.
10 bring about well graded school
requires years of patient effort. High
er standards are required in the
school and the children generally are
eager for study and use every means
at hand for thorough preparation.
The division of the study hour SO that
pupils would not need to study so
long at any one time and the estab-
Ilshment OF the reading hour have
brought about very beneficial results.
Instead of haphazard reading to
pupils of all ages, the school is
divided into three groups, according
to ability to interpret and appreciate
literature. Magazine articles and
current events are thus presented to
our young pupils. Under this tut
ton, If child passes several years in
the school his life will be cultured
with good literature and his vision
broadened with knowledge of world
events.
That large part of the blindness
is due to optholmia neonatorum, con-
tracted at birth, and that this might
be avoided if the. law required the
physician attending at birth to drop
diluted solution of nitrate of silver
in the eye of newborn babies (the
statement of DR.. Richards, which
startled the laity of New York; is alb
solutely true, according to Edward
e. Allen of WATERFOWL, superintend-
ent of the Perkins institution. Many
physicians do this nowadays.
All of our teachers for the blind
are not only well equipped educa-
tionally for the work of the school,
but they are progressive and temper
amentally suited to bring about re-
suits of high order. While they ap-
proach their work with serious
hearts, an atmosphere of good cheer
at all times pervades their school
rooms.
To meet the needs of the music de-
partment we have been compelled to.
resort to class instruction with pri--
mary pupils. While such instruction,
is not ideal, 1t brings very good re-
suits with the younger children. The
division of the gymnasium into four
classes instead of two and the length
ening of the period of instruction IL
an improvement and contributes to
the vigor and health Of the children.
In the tuning department piano re-
building is being taught systemati-
cally.
The blind must necessarily receive
their education through the hand.
must be trained very carefully. To
accomplish this end systematic in
struction in woodwork is offered. For
merly the girls of the school re-
ceived lessons in hand and machine
sewing and fancy work twice week;
they now receive lessons in this in
dustrial work five days in the week.
Within few years results will speak
for themselves. Gradually the idea
is becoming dominant in the school
that thoroughness is essential and
that education is a training for an
efficient after life. Broom-making
has passed the experimental stage and
is now a reality there. It is designed
to teach embarrassing as definite
part of the school work, but until the
law is somewhat modified governing
the sale of property produced at the
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