What the Mother of a Deaf Child Ought to Know | Page 9

recognize the difference in the vibratory sensation
perceived by his fingers touching the body of the instrument when a
low note and a high note are struck alternately. She can make a game of
this, too, by later having him close his eyes and place his fingers in
contact with the instrument and then tell her approximately what string
or key she struck. The next step, if she can take it, is to place his little
hands upon her chest to feel the lowest notes of her voice, and upon
both the chest and the top of her head to feel the highest, and
endeavoring to get him to recognize the similarity in vibratory
sensation between what he now feels and what he previously felt on the
musical instruments. The last step in this series of exercises to awaken
a recognition of vibratory sensations is to lead him to feel in his own
chest and head the vibrations set up by his own voice in shouting and
laughing, crying or babbling.
These hints that are so quickly and easily given, require weeks and
months of patient, happy effort to carry out. Beware that no one of
them is repeated or continued so long at a time as to become a thing
dreaded and disliked. Remember that the attention of a little child is
like a constantly flitting butterfly that rests for only a moment or two
on anything before dancing away to something else.
There are many little games with kindergarten materials that can be
used to develop the powers of attention, observation, imitation, and
obedience. The laying in simple designs, by watchful imitation of the
mother, of colored sticks, colored squares, etc.; the building with
colored blocks; stringing of large beads; weaving with wide strips of
colored paper simple designs that a mother could invent with the
material at hand or could learn from any kindergarten manual. The
point that must be firmly, but pleasantly, insisted upon in these
exercises is careful and obedient following by the child of the exact
order of movement and manner of placing adopted by the mother

teacher. The entire value of these exercises for the purpose she wishes
to accomplish depends upon accurate observation by the child and
_implicit obedience_.
The material outfit prepared and sold by the American exploiters of the
Montessori method is admirably adapted to the development of the
budding faculties of the child, and the mother who is trying to do all in
her power to prepare her little one to benefit to the greatest possible
extent from the professional instruction that must come later, will make
no mistake in supplying herself with the set of materials, and making
herself intelligent on their use by the child.

VI
DEVELOPING THE LUNGS
The tendency of the deaf child is to grow up with less development of
lungs and of the imagination than hearing children. In order to
overcome this tendency the child must be encouraged and taught to
play games and use toys that will exercise the lungs and develop the
power of imaginative thought.
In order to expand and strengthen the lungs through the child's play,
supply him with the brightly colored paper wind-mills that he can set
whirling by blowing lustily; also the rubber balloon toys, even though
the torturing squeak of the toys is only heard by those in the vicinity
and not by himself. An especially good exercise for the gentle and
long-continued control of breath results from the toy blow pipes with
conical wire bowls by means of which light, celluloid balls of bright
colors are kept suspended in the air, dancing on the column of breath
blown softly through the tube. The more steadily the child blows, the
more mysteriously the ball remains at a fixed point, whirling rapidly
but without any apparent support.
Blowing soap bubbles, especially trying to blow big ones, is very
useful as well as interesting.

For physical development in which the lungs come in for their share
and the sense of mechanical rhythm is fostered, an excellent exercise is
marching in step to the stroke of the drum, proud in Boy Scout uniform.
Dancing is a very desirable accomplishment for the deaf child.
Tops and tenpins cultivate dexterity, as do playing ball and rolling
hoop.

VII
THE CULTIVATION OF CREATIVE IMAGINATION
This can be greatly helped by early use on the part of the child of
colored modeling wax to reproduce objects and animals, and to
construct models of imaginary houses, yards, trees, etc. A sand pile, or
a large, shallow sand box, perhaps five feet square, with sides six
inches high, and completely lined with enamel cloth to make it
watertight, is a wonderful implement for constructive play on the part
of the child. Whole villages of farms,