Evening star., 1936-09-04
Trying From Thinking of Work Vacation Proves
Tell Teacher
Of Students.
Limitations
Much Suffering for the
.Youngster May Be
Thus Eliminated.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

h4>0Eko AnAs
WHEN you enter child in school,
Nv a stranger to the teacher and to
all she stands for, tell her about any
striking defect he has, 50 that she
will make no mistake in dealing with
him.
Carl had q speech defect. He could
not talk clearly enough to make
strangers understand. His mother did
not tell the teacher because she was
afraid that the teacher might think
there was something the matter with
him, that he was dumb. or that he
was not bright. She kept Carl's afflic-
ton a secret.
There are no secrets in the class
room. Before many days have passed
the teacher knows all about the chill
dren-all that shows and is expressed
This teacher knew that Carl did not
talk just is minutes after his mother
had left him. What is your name?"
asked the teacher. pen poised above
the record card upon her desk No
answer Again she asked. What is
your name, dear?" No answer. Carl
dropped his head, his cheeks burned,
but no words came. The teacher
looked at him for long minute, then
laid her pen down and began the read
ing lesson.
Now you say it, little boy. You
say this word we have learned" Down
went Carls head, up came the scarlet
in his cheeks. So" thought the
teacher. this child does not talk, and
his mother left him here without
word. Now what?"
For a month the teacher tried to
get Carl to speak, but he would not
attempt to make q sound Then she
visited his mother. "Oh, yes, he talks.
He tells me everything that happens
at school. He says the reason he does
not talk to you Is that you scare him.
He is afraid of you. If you had a
little more patience with him he would
talk to you, too. He isn't dumb"
The teacher was angry. She had
done all in her power to get the child
to talk. He wouldn't. His mother
said he could. Well. she would see
about this. Next day she said to Carl,
Read the next line" Carl was silent
and his look indicated that he in
tended to remain so. "All right. You
60 sit on that chair in the corner
until you can talk I'm about tired
of this" Carl went to the corner and
cried all morning. Then he cried all
afternoon. When the class was dis
missed the teacher took him and tried
to get him to say one word, and failed.
It don't believe this child can talk.
I'm going to have him examined and
find out" said she. When Cerrs
mother heard this she was excited
and said: He talks, but he doesn't
talk plainly. And you have scared
him 50 he can't talk at ALL"
The speech specialist said that the
child could speak, but that he had q
speech defect that would need expert
treatment. 1t could be helped q good
deal, perhaps cured, if he was handled
the right way. He would have to
attend the speech class for a while
and return to his regular class for
certain periods q day It was mis- |
take to try to teach him in the regular
grades.
Precious time was lost with Carl
If the teacher had been told the
truth he might have been saved a lot
of suffering and had help sooner.
Tell the teacher about any difficulty
the child may have, even slight one,
so she cannot misinterpret it when
she comes upon it, as she is likely to
do II she is not warned.
Copyright, 1852