An introduction to special school work / by Marion F. Bridie.

  • Bridie, Marion F.
Date:
1917
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introduction to special school work / by Marion F. Bridie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    mental effort which at this stage is weak. This weakness detracts from the value of lessons in which mental effort is needed, resort must be made, therefore, to some speech and articulation lessons in the form of games. One such game is this: Let each child in the class be given or choose a word ; all words must be of a somewhat similar sound, as for instance “‘ meat,’ “‘ mead,”’ “‘ feet,” “‘ reed,”’ “lead,” etc. The game is then played as in “ Family Coach’; when any one of the given words is called out, the bearer stands up and turns round. It is unnecessary for the words to form part of a story for the whole attention should be on the word itself, and must not be distracted by a story. In this way the children learn to fix their attention on distinguishing the essential differences in words ; both hearing and speech are thereby improved. The pronunciation of different words without voice emphasizes the similarities and differences in lip move- ments in words which may be much alike or totally dissimilar. Much keenness can be engendered among more advanced children by this application. Bubble-blowing is a good exercise in breath-control, but must have a definite aim. Blow the feather and table football can be used for the same purpose, and are much enjoyed even by the older children. Blowing into air- balloons and paper-bags may occasionally have a purpose, for bags and balloons may be used for games afterwards. Some of the suggestions in the following chapters on Sense Traiming and Reading may be modified for special use as speech training in the Preparatory Class. Development of Larger Muscles—Having made a beginning with speech, the means of communication between teacher and pupil, we proceed to the discussion of exercising the larger muscular movements in much the same way as that in which a baby is exercised ; control