him that
your visit is temporary and will not make any radical change in his own
life.

The delay will mean a good deal of self-sacrifice for you, but may very
possibly save your boy from a sharp attack of homesickness, while later
in the year this danger will usually have disappeared, and your visit
will bring nothing but pleasure to you both and will help to make
school what you want it to be--a place where all sorts of delightful
things are constantly sure to happen.

XXV

DURING THE SCHOOL PERIOD

But the opportunities and obligations of the parents of deaf children to
aid in their education by no means cease when the children enter school.

Throughout the entire period of school life, and even after their
children leave school, the parents can be of very great assistance to
them. During the time that the school is in session, if the child is
away from home, the parents should write not less than once a week, and
oftener if possible. These letters should contain all the little
happenings at home, no matter how insignificant and uninteresting they
may seem. If these things are expressed in simple language, using short
sentences and common words, the letters will be one of the most
efficient means of aiding the children to an ability to read, that the
teacher possesses. The child is full of eager curiosity to know the
smallest details of the familiar home life. He will exert his mind more
to dig out the meaning of the language of home letters than he will to
understand a story in a reader. Miss Worcester has suggested one or two
little letters that would do during the first half year at school. By
the beginning of the second year it would be helpful if the letters read
something like this:

"MY DEAR BOY:

"We got your nice letter. Thank you for it. We always like to know
what you do at school. We like to know the names of your
schoolmates. We are glad when you tell us about your books and your
teachers. Mother, Tom, Jane and I are well. We talk about you
often. We are glad you can go to school. A cat frightened the hens.
The hens ran. The cat was naughty. I drove the cat away. I think
the cat wanted to eat the little chickens.

"Tom hid behind the door. He jumped out quickly. He frightened
Jane. She screamed. He laughed. Jane cried. Mother scolded Tom
because he made Jane cry. Tom said Jane was a baby. Jane said Tom
was a bad boy. Then J