with the various sequences of movement of the lips, if a little care is
taken to watch his eyes and to speak when they are directed toward the
speaker, and to stand in such relation to the light that it falls upon
the speaker's face. The speech should be the same as to the hearing
child, but it takes a little more care and watchfulness to have the deaf
child _see_ the same word or phrase as _many times_ as the hearing child
hears it. If it is spoken when the baby is not looking, it does not
help.
When the little one is learning to walk, the mother says, "Come to
mamma," "Go to daddy," and gradually he learns "come" and "go." She has
him play hide and seek with another child, and she says, "Where is Tom?"
"Where is the baby's mouth?" "Where is the baby's nose?" etc., and by
and by he knows "where" and "mouth" and "nose," and the names of his
playmates or brothers and sisters. When he is sitting on the floor she
picks him up, saying "up." When she puts him from her lap to the floor
she says "down." If he is naughty she says "naughty," and perhaps spats
his little hands, and so on through the day. A little care on her part,
a little added thought and watchfulness, perhaps a few more repetitions,
and little by little she will find her deaf baby learning to look at her
always, and to understand much that is said to him. She must all this
time remember, also, that the shades of feeling, pleasure,
disappointment, approval, disapproval, doubt, certainty, love, anger,
joy, which are largely conveyed to the hearing child by intonation of
voice, must be conveyed to the deaf baby by facial expression and
manner. They become very keen at interpreting moods by the look. Let
the face be sunny and kind and INTERESTED, if possible. The first
indication of impatience, of being bored and weary, will destroy much of
one's influence with the deaf child.
Sometimes it is harder to disguise one's feelings in the face than in
the voice. Do not be caught unawares. Interest, cheerfulness, and
patience are tremendous forces to help the little deaf child.
Some one has said:
"When you consent, consent cordially;
When you refuse, refuse finally;
When you punish, punish good-naturedly."
XI
FORMING CHARACTER
And now that the little one is two or three years old, it may be well to
say a few words about his general training in character and habits.
There is a strong, and a not unnatural tendency to maintain an a
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