TEACHING THE DUMB TO SPEAK.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9131, 28 April 1908, Page 7

TEACHING THE DUMB TO SPEAK.

THE SUMNER INSTITUTE. REMARKABLE RESULTS. The school for the deaf at Sumner is a remarkable educational institution. By its aid deaf and dumb children are taught to understand the things that they see around them, and are sent out into the world almost as fully equipped as their more fortunate brothers and sitsers.

Mr J. E. Stevens, principal of the institute, recently showed a reporter over the school. In one of the classrooms were eight children, one being instructed by the teacher and the other seven writing exercises on slates, and it was surprising to note that far from being mute they all carried on their lessons with an accompaniment of loud exclamations, which, if not all quite intelligible to the visitor, were the forerunners of perfect speech to come. “These children,” said Mr Stevens “have been here for about three months, and already they are learning words. If you watch me carefully you will see how we teach them.” He beckoned to a plump, red-haired boy. Taking one of the boy’s hands Mr Stevens placed it on his own throat and emitted the sound “ah.” The boy, he explained, felt the vibration of the throat when the sound was made, and then quickly earned by feeling hia own throat that he could produce sound. After going through the vowels Mr Stevens held up a piece of paper and pronounced some of the explosives, “p” and “t” the breath blowing the paper away, and the child thus learning the manner in which those letters were pronounced. All round the room were' hoards on which pictures were pasted and under them the names of the objects were written. After learning the vowels sounds the children are taught to pronounce simple words, such as “boot,” “hoof,” wood,” ancLso on, and then to pick out the object on the board. Of course at this stage they cannot grasp abstract ideas, and the lessons are restricted to the names of common objects. The most remarkable feature of the teaching is to see children actually learning to talk. They have never heard a sound in their lives, and yet they are able to converse rationally and intelligibly. The teacher pronounces the word “loop” very carefully, and the child watches his lips, repeating the word after him. Then the child has to pick the loop out among the pictures, and has to write the word on his slate. It thus becomes implanted in his mind. It is a common belief that people who and dumb have no voice whatever. This, Mr Stevens said, was entirely a fallacy. Most human beings were able to speak, and though the acoustic organs were useless in the case of the scholars it was very rare to meet a deaf and “dumb” person whose vocal apparatus was in any way malformed. Deaf children were dumb simply because they had never heard any sound, and therefore had no conception of its nature. Until theyvwere taught to “feel” their voices they were unaware that they had any, and most of them when admitted made only grunting noises, though if one were hurt he would yell loudly enough. It was only necessary to see them playing football and hear the din that they made to realise the fact that their vocal organs were all right. It was observable that those who had become advanced enough to converse spoke in a monotone and very slowly, for they had to form each syllable carefully. When remarks were addressed to them they watced the speakers’ lips intently, and repeated the words after him. Then if they understood the question they framed an answer in the same careful manner. The whole process consisted in learnisg to read the lips as words were formed. Mr Stevens demonstrated this novel form of telegraphy by sending a boy arcoss a playground to one of the school doors. He then framed the words, “Shut the door,” with his lips, and the lad turned and shut the door at once.