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At the opening of the schools in September, 1879, the school for deaf-mutes was removed to the south room on the first floor of the old Jefferson building, on Ninth and Wash streets.

From the time of the establishment of this school to the present date-December 1st, 1880-there has been a gradual improvement in the method of instruction, and an increase in patronage, until the number of pupils belonging has reached thirty-two.

This school has proven of great value to those directly interested in its success; for it provides suitable instruction for these unfortunate children without removing them from parental care and home influences, both of which are so essential to their future welfare.

Two teachers are now employed in this school—Mr. Delos A. Simpson, and Miss Sylvia Chapin. Mr. Simpson ranks as head assistant of the district schools, with a salary of $650 for this year, subject to an annual increase of $50 per year, until the maximum head assistant's salary ($850) is reached. Miss Chapin ranks as third assistant, with the first year's salary ($400) of that rank.

School boards of other cities have established day schools for deaf-mutes, and from recent reports I find that the salaries of persons having charge of these schools range from $1,000 to $1,200 per annum, and assistants are paid from $400 to $650 per year. The number of pupils to each teacher in these schools, varies from 10 to 15.

The work in our deaf-mute school was begun with the new idea that language is more important than the sign; therefore the sign is made subordinate to the word.

That those who are unacquainted with the method and the nature of the instruction given in this school, may obtain some information in regard to the same, I submit herewith an extract from a report of the principal Mr. Simpson, showing the pro

gramme of exercises, and giving a brief statement of the manner of imparting knowledge and conducting recitations:

CLASS I.-TAUGHT BY D. A. SIMPSON AND MISS S. L. CHAPIN.

Studies.

1. Goodrich's History of the United States.

2. Mitchell's Primary Geography, (nearly finished.)

3. Robinson's Rudiments of Written Arithmetic, (nearly finished.) 4. Original Compositions.

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1. Keep's First Lessons for Deaf-Mutes-reviewed.

2. Latham's Primary Reader.

3. Exercises in writing, with grammatical symbols.
4. Exercises in addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
5. Compositions.

CLASS III.-TAUGHT BY MISS CHAPIN.

Studies.

1. Latham's First Lessons, and Keep's Lessons for Deaf-Mutes.

2. Exercises in action writing.

3. Original sentences on given words or phrases.

4. Exercises in simple addition and subtraction.

CLASS IV.-DIVISION A.-TAUGHT BY MISS CHAPIN.

1. Latham's First Lessons.

2. Exercises in writing.

DIVISION B.-TAUGHT BY MR. SIMPSON-1. Latham's First Lessons. This is a mixed class, composed mainly of beginners, and those who stood low in their class last year, caused by too frequent absence from school. In this class are taught the names of objects represented in cuts, and the names of objects seen in the room; names with intransitive verbs and simple qualities, and transitive verbs with complements.

GENERAL REMARKS.

There are only two members of the first class - Masters John E. Campbell and Leo Froning—both of whom had been pupils in the State institution at Fulton nearly four years, before they were trans

ferred to this school. Charles Hein, who is now in the second class, was also connected with the Fulton Institution.

A brief description of the manner in which a class in this school is taught, may not be out of place here.

I. After the usual morning recitations, which generally occupy an hour and a half, exercises in sentence construction are commenced. New forms of sentences are selected from the lesson just recited, and after the construction of each is explained by the teacher, the class is required to write original sentences in the same forms. Symbols representing parts of speech are sometimes used: thus, if one of the model sentences selected from the lesson is "Do you like peaches?" the teacher writes on the black board "Do you like 1 ?" (the symbol representing a noun), and then requires the class to write four or five similar sentences, supplying one of the parts of speech represented by the symbol. Then comes the exercises-“Do you like to --?" (placing here the symbol denoting a transitive or an intransitive verb); then "Do you like to be- -?" (placing here the symbol denoting the passive verb). After this 'you' is replaced by 'men,' 'girls,' 'cats,' etc.; then 'like' is replaced by 'want,' and 'do' by 'does.' The teacher sometimes asks the pupil to translate his own sentence into signs-his natural language—so that it may be known whether the sentence is expressive of a living idea in the pupil's mind or not. The tendency of constant drill, in the manner above described, is to give the pupil a good understanding of the various forms of the English sentence. It facilitates repetition-one of the sources of rapid attainments of language by the speaking child, who remembers it by hearing it spoken often, and unconsciously acquires its use.

II. Short and simple stories, not found in the text books, are related in signs by the teacher, and written out by the class on slates or on the blackboards. Occasionally the teacher entertains the class with scripture and other stories, and fables, which are the delight of children.

III. Once every two weeks the pupils are required to write on paper, an account of what they saw and did at home on Saturdays and Sundays.

GERMAN-ENGLISH INSTRUCTION.

During the present year, the classes in German instruction have been taught, in part by special German teachers, and in part by German-English teachers. The special German teachers pass from room to room to give instruction, using the time of one recitation in each room. The German-English teacher has charge of a room, and in fact, is a regular class-room teacher, qualified to instruct in the German language as well as in the English branches. One German-English teacher is assigned to one of each four rooms in a building, and besides having charge of her own room and instructing her pupils in German and in the English branches, she is required to exchange rooms with the other three teachers during the time of one recitation for each room, and give instruction in German. Each English teacher is also required to conduct a recitation in one of the English branches in the room of the German-English teacher, during the time of the exchange of rooms.

This plan was recommended two years ago, with a view to economy, it being generally believed, however, that the plan of employing special German teachers would secure better instruction. A year's trial has given very satisfactory results, and in most cases has given strength to our corps of class room teachers; for only the strongest and best qualified have, thus far, been appointed to the position of German-English teacher.

It must be admitted that the system will require that no weak teachers be appointed in those schools where the plan is being fully carried out; for the exchange of rooms necessarily requires stronger disciplinarians.

It was supposed that at first it would be necessary to assign English Reading and Spelling, and language studies to the regular English teacher, but thus far, nearly all the persons holding the position of German-English teacher, have proven their ability to instruct equally well in these branches.

With our large German population, there will be, at all times, among the graduates of our High, and Normal School, a sufficient number of persons qualified to instruct in both languages, and especially if some attention is given in the Normal School to this department of our school work. Granting that the German-English plan will be successful, it certainly is reasonable to expect that the Normal School course should be so modified as to give proper advantages to those of its pupils who desire to qualify as German-English teachers.

The table on page 38, of this report, gives the decrease in the number of Special German teachers employed during the year, and also the changes that have taken place in the enrollment of pupils studying German.

The report of Mr. Teuteberg, who has the direct supervision of the instruction in German, gives in detail the condition of this department, and the progress that has been made during the past year.

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