Sixty-Two Days’ Training of a Backward Boy II
The Psychological Clinic. Vol. II. No. 2. April 15, 1908. :Author: Margaret Keiver Smith, PhD. State Normal School, New Paltz, N. Y.
Twenty-third day, Friday, Oct. 18th, 1907.?Today Willie noticed Miss Cora’s absence and inquired anxiously where she had gone. lie read a page of his primer very well and asked intelligently about certain words. The writhing of his body was less marked than usual.
His speaking voice is not nearly as strong as his reading voice. He enjoys reading but dislikes talking. For the sake of the rhythm and as a means of developing his voice, he is required to repeat many Mother Goose melodies. He smiles frequently and sometimes laughs outright at the jingles.
He asked today for the story, “The House that Jack Built,” and when it was shown to him in a book, he tried to read it. He persistently said “clock” instead of cock. “The cock that crowed in the morn” seems to him to tell the time like a clock. When reading, Willie may miscall a word or may fail to pronounce it. Miss S. does not correct him or pronounce it for him. She merely waits with the pencil on the word. He does not look at the word again but gazes at the window or the ceiling and after a half minute or a whole minute, he will pronounce the word correctly. He seems to see the word during all this time. This may possibly be explained by the persistence of the positive after-image.
Twenty-fifth day, Tuesday, Oct. 22<2*.?To-day a fire occurred about 10.80 a. m. on the mountain side. The blaze could be seen from the windows of the First Grade room. Willie was the first to notice it. When he came to Miss S. he could talk of nothing else. He exclaimed excitedly, “The mountain is burned up!” Miss S. said, “Oh, no, only a house was burned.” He ?The report of the twenty-fourth day is combined with that of the twenty-fifth.
asked, “IIow it get .afire ?” Miss S. said, “I do not know, perhaps a little boy was playing with matches, and set it on fire.” Again he questioned, “Where the people go?” (Willie cannot nse do or did with a verb.) Miss S. said, “Oh, the people are all safe. They went to the large lionse.” He asked, “What they go to large lionse for ?” Miss S. answered cheerfully, “They went there because they would be safe*and warm in the large house.” This seemed to satisfy him and he tried to read, though his attention wandered. lie could not use the word little intelligently. Miss S. showed him a AVebster’s Dictionary and asked, “What kind of book is this ?” iTe said promptly, “A dictionary.” (ITe certainly had never said this word before, although he must have heard it.) Miss S. said, “Yes, it is a dictionary, but as to size, what kind of book is it?” lie answered, “It is a great, bigbook.” (Great s a new word.) Miss S. held up the primer and asked, “What kind of book is this ?” He answered quickly, “It is a little book.” “Yes,” said Miss S., “now let us find the word little in our lesson.” (From this time the word little has given him definite pleasure. He likes to say it very distinctly.) To-day Willie tried to sing the scale. His voice was very weak, and he seemed to have 110 perception of the difference between the notes. When he left to-day, he ran across the street. Twenty-sixth day, Oct. 23 d.?To-day Willie read four pages. “When he read “He wants bread,” he asked quickly, “Who wants bread?” Miss Cora answered just as quickly, “The boy wants bread.” He was interested in reading about a dog. When asked what he would do with a dog if he had one, he said that he would make him draw things. He read, “Is a dog good to eat ?” paused a moment and laughed intelligently. Then he asked Miss S. the question. She made him answer it for himself. He said “]STo,” as if the question were absurd. He read, “I am a boy, I am not a girl,”?then he read it again with much emphasis. In reading, Willie has a tendency to run one sentence into the next. To-day Miss S. pointed to the period and said, “Willie, this little dot says, ‘please stop here.’ ” He read the next sentence, paused, and said doubtingly, “The dot not talk.” Miss S. said, “No, not as you talk, but when we see it we know that it is saying ‘please stop a bit.’ ” After that he paused at the end of the sentence. Later his mother came in to watch him at work. He went to her, and told her that the dot at the end of the sentence talked to him. This is the first attempt at “make believe” that Miss S. has ventured. Willie lias never played voluntarily, and lias apparently never imagined anything that could give him pleasure. Up to the present, his imagination has merely served to increase his nervousness and fears.
In reading, he desired to turn the leaves and read an advanced lesson. Miss S. said, “^vo, we shall read every word (to a certain mark) and then we shall stop for to-day.” lie settled down and read patiently line by line. lie asked to read “The House that Jack Built” and had great difficulty in pronouncing the word worried. He pointed to a picture and asked, “What is that ?” Miss S. said, “That is the cock that crowed in the morn.” “ISTo,” said he positively, “that is a rooster.”
To-day he sang the scale with Miss Cora, and did a little better than before. He was required to call “charcoal” in a loud, full tone, and then to call the echo (one octave higher). This amused him greatly. He laughed heartily. When the time came to go, he seized his book, lunch box and cap in one hand, shook hands with the other, said “Good bye,” and rushed off quite like a real boy.
Twenty-seventh day, Oct. 24/7/.?To-day Willie read four pages in his primer. lie still has difficulty in reading a sentence which is not all on one line. He generally pronounces the words laboriously, then reads the sentence fluently to get the meaning. He knows nearly all the letters, so that when he comes to a new word, he spells it and leans over expectantly toward Miss S. to get the full pronunciation. Miss S. allows him to spell the words, .as this affords just that much more needed exercise in articulation. Sometimes after spelling a word aloud, he pronounces it without help. Miss Cora sang the scale very slowly do, do, do, re, re, re, mi, mi, etc. By reason of the repetition, Willie was able to get the notes, and he really sang a little. He then gave the calls in “The Charcoal Man.” As this pleased him, Miss S. suggested that he sell other things as well as charcoal. She taught him to call Fresh Fish! Fresh Mackerel! Fresh Strawberries! He was pleased with the calls, but also a little frightened at so much noise.
He repeated “Jack and Jill.” Miss S. asked, “Are you sorry for Jill ?” He said, “Yes.” When asked why, he smiled and said, “Because she broke her head off.”
We are beginning to forget Willie’s habit of keeping his mouth open, it is so often shut. Indeed we often forget that he is not normal. He moves quickly; liis cheeks are pink; his lips are red. He does not. pay the best attention, but neither do normal children.
Twenty-eighth day, Oct. 25th.?To-day Willie read four pages. Miss Cora being absent, he missed her and was very restless. He persistently asked for her. “Where is she? What she go for ? Is she in the Annex School Ground ?” It seems that he had seen her there one day out of school, hence his attempt to locate her.
He was slipping back and forth restlessly on the edge of his chair. Miss S. said, “Willie, you are not sitting comfortably on your chair. Sit back further and make yourself comfortable.” He pushed himself back as directed. Miss S. asked, “Willie, what does comfortable mean?” He was silent a moment, then answered, “Much sit.”
Twenty-ninth day, Monday, Oct. 28th.?Willie read four pages in his primer, then asked, permission to read “The House that Jack Built.” He read “This is the man all tattered and torn” and paused. After a moment he asked, “How he get ?” (Meaning how did he get all tattered and torn.) Miss S. said, “Perhaps his coat caught on the nails in the fence.” He went on reading. “That tossed the dog,” and asked, “How he toss?” Miss S. tried to show by gestures how this catastrophe might have happened. Then he sang the scale and showed some improvement. Willie has now been in the First Grade twenty days, but we have no word of his doing anything in the class.
He is very obedient. He never hesitates when told to do a thing. Unless it is quite necessary, Miss S. never directs or tells him what to do, as jshe wishes him to develop the power of selfdirection. Thirtieth day, Oct. 29th.?To-day upon entering, Willie pointed to the board and asked clearly, “What you write that on the board for?” (It was something that he could not read, and he has an idea that everything written on the board is for him.) He was restless and wished to stop reading very soon. Miss S. said, “Oh, please, let us read so far” (pointing to the bottom of a page). He looked resolute, and perhaps obstinate, but he bargained, “I read to there, you stop ?” Miss S. promised and shut the book at the right moment. Then she said, “Now, Willie, fly and get the story book,” but added, “Oh, poor little boy! You haven’t any wings, you can’t fly.” Willie looked back over his shoulder, and flapped his arms suggestively. “So you have wings,” said Miss S. in a matter-of-course tone, “then fly for the book.” He read “The House that Jack Built” and told Miss S. that the man’s coat was torn on the fence, and that the cow tossed the dog on her horns. He left very determinedly.
Thirty-first day, Oct. 30th.?To-day about 10.30 a. m. the teacher of the First Grade came down to say that Willie seemed to be in a kind of fit. He was making unpleasant grimaces and his body was writhing. Miss S. went to him, but found that the attack had passed. He appeared to be weak and languid. He wished to go with her “to read.” When Miss S. told him that she was busy and would like him to wait until the usual time, he consented, quite satisfied.
When he came, he read as usual and talked quite freely. A sentence suggested the parts of his body, and he exclaimed, “I have two feet, two hands, two eyes, and one head.” Later he added, “One nose, one mouth and one chin.” This seemed to amuse him.
Miss S. told him that as soon as he had finished reading she wished to take him to the office to look at something there. He became much interested and asked whether the something could walk. The “something” was a spirometer with which Miss S. wished to test his breathing. When he saw the instrument, he rushed toward the door in terror, screaming “Don’t put it beside me” and held his hands over his ears. Miss Cora, thinking to quiet him, began to sing softly. The singing seemed to add to his terror, and he gazed around the room like a hunted animal. Miss S. stood quietly beside him without speaking. In a few minutes he begged to go back to “our room,” and once there, became quite calm. When Miss Cora sang the scale, he tried to sing with her as usual. He asked permission to sell the “Fresh sings” as he called them, and called loudly,?”Fresh Strawberries! Fresh Blueberries! Fresh Blackberries! Fresh Raspberries!” He suddenly ceased calling and asked Miss S. whether she had heard the fire-bell last evening. He said, “A stove burned up.” Miss S. said, “No, Willie, it was only a blazing lamp that frightened the people.” Later, he interrupted a story to ask, “What was burned?” Miss S. answered cheerfully, “Nothing was burned, Willie. The flame of a lamp blazed high. Nobody was hurt.” This satisfied him, and he did not refer to it again. This is the second time that he has shown an interest in the outside world. He seems to have a morbid dread of fire. Willie went home very tired and nervous. This was a disM TILE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. couraging day. The child’s month was open and his head moved much as on the first day. The writhing of the body was greatly aggravated. The only hopeful thing is that he was able to talk off his excitement. A month ago, however great his fear, lie could not have spoken a word.
Thirty-second day, Oct. 31st.?To-day the children of the First Grade had a festival. Miss S. and Miss Cora went up to observe Willie as a social being. He was sitting alone, eating his portion of some very primitive refreshments, and looking extremely bored while the other children ran about greeting teachers and playfellows with much chatter and laughter. Willie immediately asked to bo allowed to go to “our room” and read. As he was very uncomfortable among the children, he was taken down stairs, where he began to read with every sign of satisfaction. He read three pages of his book. Miss S. told him that she thought it best to omit the story to-day as he was tired with the excitement of the morning. He sang the scale with Miss Cora and did fairly well. Then he leaned over toward Miss S. and said very persuasively, “Let’s talk about the story.” The story was postponed, however, and he and Miss Cora .sold “charcoal” with much energy. Miss S. (the purchaser) called from another part of the room, “How many bags full?” Miss Cora sang in reply, “One bag full” (do-re-mi). Willie sang instantly “Two bags full.” Miss Cora sang next “Three bags full.” Then Willie in great glee sang “Four bags full.” This duet continued until Miss Cora sang “Twelve bags full.” Here Willie refused to sing any more, and would give no reason for stopping. Miss Cora then began to sell “Fresh Fish! Fresh Shad! etc.” In a moment Willie caught the time and without stopping called the names of fifteen vegetables. These vegetables had not been named by us and we know that he had never spoken the names before. The list included “fresh beans, peas,, cabbage, corn, potatoes, turnips (pronounced turmps), carrits (meaning carrots), beets, celery (pronunciation blurred), oyster plant, parsnips, parsley, pumpkins (pronounced in one syllable), squash, cucumbers, tomatoes” (pronounced o-ma’-toes). In seeking an explanation for Willie’s knowledge of these words, we learned from the Kindergarten teacher that last Thanksgiving (1906) she had had an exhibit of fruits and vegetables in the Kindergarten, and. that these had all been named by the teacher and the children. She remembered that Willie was present, and she also remembered that he would not attempt to say a single word. We could only think that he learned the names at that time and had remembered them ever since. Also he must have heard fruit and vegetables mentioned at home, but probably never in such a series as he reproduced just now.
Upon the whole, the excitement of the last two days seems to have done him good. His mental life seems to be greatly quickened. As yet, Willie has not spoken to a single child in his class upstairs. When Miss S. asked him whether he liked the girls and boys in his class, he answered emphatically, “Yes.” Thirty-tliird day, Nov. 1st.?To-day Miss Cora was absent, but Willie made no remarks. When asked when she would return, he said on Monday. He evidently expects that she will be absent on Fridays. To-day he spelled and pronounced the new words for himself. He read, “The cow does not like to play,” and asked immediately, “Why she not like to play ?” Miss S. pointed to the next sentence “Because she is too old.” He read, “She does not like dogs,” and asked, “Why she not like dogs ?” In a moment he answered his own question, “She too old.” He next read from his “jingle book,”?”A was an apple pie, B bit it.” He asked, “Why he bit it ?” Miss S. asked, “Why do you bite your pie ?” He replied, “To eat.” Then he read, “B bit it, to eat.” He read, “C cut it,” and added “to eat” (with satisfaction). He read “One little Indian” through to “Ten little Indians,” and asked “Where the little Indians are?” (He evidently wanted a picture.) He read “The House that Jack Built” and at a suggestion from Miss S. began to declaim it. This pleased him greatly. His tone became much fuller and stronger. Miss S. asked, “Willie, how did the cow toss the dog?” Willie smiled and said, “He punch him. He put his eye out.” He would not say that he was sorry for the dog.
Having finished with his book, he said very engagingly, “Now we sing the charcoal.” After this he and Miss S. sang “One bag full,” “Two bags full,” alternately. When Miss S. sang, “Twelve bags full,” he stopped just as he did yesterday. Miss S. said persuasively, “Willie, do tell me why you will not sing “Thirteen bags full.” Willie replied in an obstinate tone, “Too heavy! Not get all in. Break the wagon!” Miss S. admitted the reasonableness of this view and suggested that they have a larger and stronger wagon for the next time. He promised to sing “Thirteen bags full.”
He next asked to sell the “fresh sings” (things). Miss S. agreed to this if he would lead, so he chanted “Fresh bread!
Fresli rye bread! Fresli Graham bread! Fresh corn! Fresh sweet corn! Fresh pop corn! Fresh feed com!” Miss S. only named the things after he had sung them. He sang “Fresh ‘omatoes.” Miss S. responded dully and inattentively. Willie shook her arm impatiently, saying emphatically “Fresh o-ma’-toesthen Miss S. chanted carefully and properly “Fresh tomatoes.”
To-day he voluntarily remained longer than his usual time. Finally he put on his coat, shook hands and went out. As he made his way home, he was no longer the jolly little chap who had made Miss S. sing and chant, but again the timid, solitary little soul, shut up within himself and shrinking from every one. In talking with the Kindergartner, Miss S. learned that the previous year she had taken the children into a room where corn was being popped. It took her twelve minutes to persuade Willie to go into this room. She also remembered talking to the children about feed corn, but he took no part in the conversation. This, however, explains his calling the different kinds of corn. Tliirty-sixth day, Wednesday, Nov. 6th.*?To-day Willie answered no questions. He was asked whether he knew that yesterday was election day, a fact known to every boy m the village. He did not answer. He read four pages. He spelled and proj nounced by himself the words, liking, making, giving, having, talcing, coming.
He asked for the story of “The Bonnie Bush of Blackberries” and told much of it himself. He sang the scale with Miss Cora and then sang it alone. Then he sold vegetables and fruits. Not content with this, he began to sell trees. He sang the names of the following trees, which, so far as we could learn, he had never spoken before, though he must have heard them:?Elm, birch, maple, magnolia, pine, hazelnut, cedar, hickory, spruce, persimmon, mulberry. Thirty-seventh day, Nov. 7th.?To-day Willie read four pages. He read the sentence, “You may have some, too, Will.” Miss S. asked, “Who is Will?” He replied promptly, “I am.” When he began his work with us, he was by no means certain of his name. Miss S. told him a new story to-day, “Frau Holle.” He did not seem to care for it, though later he became very fond of it and called it “The Daughter Story.” He sang the scale very well. His voice was musical. He sold vegetables and fruits, then suddenly began to buy. He sang: “How much for one quart ?From this time on the records of certain days will be omitted. This means that nothing new developed on those days.
of raspberries ? I will take one pound of butter; I want one peck of potatoes; I want one gallon of oil.” Probably he lias visited the shops with his mother. jNTo person in the school has mentioned measures to him.
Thirty-eighth day, Nov. 8th.?To-day Willie read four pages. He tried to give the echo of the charcoal cry. He asked for “The Daughter Story,” but made no comment.
Thirty-ninth day, Monday, Nov. 11th.?To-day Willie mentioned a fire which occurred last night. Fires appear to be the only things in the outside world which interest him. He read four pages. He sang the scale ascending and descending very well, and sold his charcoal in a musical voice. He asked for “The Daughter Story.” He seems to have outgrown “The Bonnie Bush of Blackberries” and “The House that Jack Built.”
His voice is much improved and his memory is unusually good. Having been told a word, he seldom forgets it, and if a direction is given him he seldom needs to be reminded of it. He loves routine. His tendency is to do things again and again in exactly the same order. He really enjoys reading. He has no social sympathy.
Fortieth day, Nov. 12tit.?To-day Willie read five pages and asked many questions. He read the sentence “See me row” and asked, “What he be in when he row ?” Miss S. said “Perhaps he was in a boat.” He said, “No” and was dissatisfied. He could not imagine rowing. He read, “Look at that e-e-1” and asked, “What is eel?” Miss S. said, “It is a long, slender animal that wriggles in the water as snakes do on the land. Did you ever see a snake, Willie ?” He seemed to know nothing about snakes. He read, “Mother is canning fruit” and asked “What kmd of fruit?” Miss S. asked, “What kinds of fruit are good for canning?” He answered quickly, “Plums, pears, peaches, cherries, strawberries.” Then he asked, “What we do with apples?” Miss S. answered, “We eat them raw, and we eat them when they are cooked. Apples are very good fruit.”
He found the word thing in a sentence. “Thing,” he said, “what is thing?” Miss S. said, “This book is a thing; this table is a thing; now, you name a thing.” He began, “That picture is a thing; that pan is a thing; that flag is a thing.” He was much pleased with this and pronounced the word carefully. Before this he has always called it “sing.”
His enunciation is much improved. He often watches Miss S. when she is talking, and finds it amusing to say a word exactly as she does. The accuracy of the imitation is rather startling. Forty-fifth day, Nov. 20th.?To-day Willie began to learn the names of the days of the week and the months of the year. He was in a hurry to begin reading. He read the sentence “How many feet has a sheep ?” and wished to know the answer to the question. He seemed to have no idea of what a sheep was. While reading, he stopped suddenly to ask where that thing was that frightened him in the office. Miss S. talked to him about it, taught him the name Spirometer, and finally he promised that if it were brought to “our room” he would blow into the tube. He read the sentence, “He labors much for little pay ?” and asked, “What does it mean, ‘labors much’ ?” The spirometer was brought in, but Willie could not be induced to go near it, though he was not so frightened as before.
He read, “She sighs” and asked, “What is ‘sighs’ ?” ZIiss S. sighed, Miss Cora sighed. Finally Willie sighed, and laughed, lie has never forgotten the word sigh. Forty-ninth day, Tuesday, Nov. 2 6/7*.?To-day Willie seemed like a very normal, obedient and happy little boy. ITe read four pages and asked the meaning of the words end, mail, and sake. The words were explained by illustration. It is doubtful whether he understood the word sake. He was puzzled over the word oalc. He had seen it before, but could not say it. It was suggested to him that he name all the trees that he knew. He did so, rtnd when he mentioned the “oak,” he went back to his book and read intelligently the sentence in which the word occurred. He showed great pleasure in articulating correctly. After reading, he showed an inclination to talk freely. Miss S. asked him casually, “Willie, do you remember a little boy who came into this room every day, and who would not talk to me ?” lie answered promptly, “Yes, me.” Miss S. continued, “Willie, why was it that you would not. talk?” He looked at Miss S. and with great candor answered, “I couldn’t hear good.”
It is a question whether the child’s hearing has improved since the operation, or whether there has been a kind of clearing of consciousness. At first it seemed as if his conscious state was very confused. ISTo one image seemed to be of more importance than another. The condition of definiteness began to be manifest before the operation, but he has improved greatly in this respect sinco that time.
To-day he finished his primer and was much concerned. He exclaimed, “The end is here, what I do?” lie was comforted when told that his mother would give him a new book on the morrow. After the book was finished, Miss Cora sang a new song. Willie listened carefully and suddenly exclaimed, “Oil, where I sing that? Where I sing that?” He was still a minute, Miss Cora waiting. Then his puzzled little face cleared and he exclaimed, “The Kindergarten!” Then he sang vigorously. During the year in the Kindergarten he had heard singing every day, but he did not attempt to sing a word. This is another indication of his excellent memory.
Fifty-first day, Monday, Dec. 2d.?To-day Willie did everything with a dash that made him quite a new boy. lie brought a Ward’s First Header and gaily opened it, pointing to a picture. Miss S. asked, “What do you see, Willie?” He answered promptly, “Girls, women and a baby.”
He spelled the word “lesson” and pronounced it distinctly. He read the sentence, “The leaf is narrow,” and asked quickly, “Narrow, what is narrow?” Miss S. showed him narrow surfaces and wide surfaces. Finally he said, “Narrow is not far across?” Then he was required to describe objects, using the words long, short, wide, narrow.
He read, “Stand in the corner,” but could not grasp the word stand. Miss S. went and stood in a corner. He read the sentence again, markedly emphasizing the word stand and laughed heartily. He read “Toe the mark” and could not understand. He was required to place his toes against a line. Then he was anxious that Miss S. and Miss Cora should do the same. He sang vigorously to-day, keeping time by shrugging his shoulders. He sang all his songs (three) and the scale, then he begged Miss S. and Miss Cora to say “funny” things. Miss S. and Miss Cora have often said “funny” things to him and he would not move a muscle. Now he shouted with laughter at the right places.
He took great pleasure in singing “charcoal” in Mark Haley’s voice (from Trowbridge, “The Charcoal Man”), also in singing it as Mark did when he saw Martha, and as he did to the baby, as well as in imitating the responses of Martha and the baby. He really did this very well.
As yet Willie has neither spoken to a child in his class upstairs, nor does he talk to his mother when lie goes home. Fifty-fourth day, Dec. 5th.?To-day Willie read four pages. After reading he sang so well that Miss S. applauded him by clapping her hands. He was greatly pleased. Miss S. asked, “Why do I clap my hands, Willie ?” He answered smiling, “Because it is so nice!” Then lie and Miss Cora sang the lines which loaded Mark Haley’s wagon with charcoal. They sang a long time. The last line was “Fifty bags full.” Here he protested against overloading, although the new wagon is much larger than the old one. This play is very pleasing to Willie, lie takes it so seriously that there is danger of the imagined thing being more real than the thing perceived. A story that appeals to the imagination and also to the understanding is more agreeable to him than a mere jingle.
To-day Miss S. said, “Willie, on Monday you shall have a new story.” “Yes,” he said appreciatively, “And what will it be about?”
Fifty-fifth day, Monday, Dec. dth.?Willie’s morning greetings are now made in a loud, full voice. He read and sang today with energy. After singing he clapped his hands in imitation of Miss S.’s applause yesterday. He read the word cripple and asked what it meant. Miss S. tried to explain and in doing so, said “a lame person?one who limps may be called a cripple.” He slipped from his chair and asked to be shown how to limp. He limped around the table and up and down the room.
Miss S. told him the story of “The Three Bears” and he immediately began acting the parts. He growled like the “Big Bear” and whined like the “Little Bear.”
The “Tillich blocks” came to-day and Miss S. has begun to give him a careful, systematic course in numbers. He showed himself quick and accurate. He took great pleasure in judging the relations of the blocks to one another, by touch alone, holding the blocks behind his back.
Fifty-sixth day, Dec. 10th.?To-day Willie was inadvertently detained in his class upstairs. When he came down he was much displeased. He told Miss S. that he had been waiting for her a “long time.” In reading, he came upon the word litnp, whereupon he left his seat and repeated the limping performance of yesterday. Then he returned and continued reading. He read the word ship. He exclaimed, “What is skip ? I want to see it.” Miss S. showed him how to skip, then he insisted that Miss Cora should skip with him. A little later, he called for Miss S. to join him. In a few moments they were all skipping merrily, while Miss Cora hummed a tune. Miss Cora tried to teach him to jump, but he could not learn it to-day.
He spent some time with the “Tillich blocks,” but suddenly announced that he must stop or he would not have time to sing. He sang with energy, beating time on the table, and applauded himself vigorously.
Miss S. began to talk to Willie about his social relations. She asked, “Willie, do you like the boys upstairs?” “Yes,” he said. “Then,” said Miss S., “why do you not walk with them when you go home ?” He was silent for a few moments, then he exclaimed, “I like Miss Cora, I like Miss S. and I like myself!” After a pause, he added, “Miss Cora is good, Miss S. is good, and I am good!” His idea seemed to be that there was no need for him to think about any other persons. Miss S., thinking to bring his family at least into his circle of friends, asked, “Who are the people at home, Willie?” He was on his way to get his coat. He paused and said, “My mamma is my mother. My papa is my father. Myrtle is my sister. Grandma”?a pause? “she’s grandma.” “Well,” said Miss S., “how many people do you like?” He answered, “Miss Cora, Miss S. and myself.” Miss S. asked, “What next?” “Next,” he said, “why?first my rubbers, then the overcoat, then the lunch box, then the book, then shake hands, then my cap.” Miss S. did not press the matter of family relations.
Fifty-ninth day, Monday, Dec. 1 Qth.?To-day Miss S. asked Willie whether he had seen the snow yesterday. He said, “Yes, I went out and I tumbled head over heels in it.” This seemed a very unusual expression for Willie. Later a somewhat similar expression was found in his reading lesson, “He tumbled over and over in the snow.” He probably had read his lesson at home, and had liked the sentence, so that it had colored his answer. We could not find that he was in the snow at all yesterday. It is possible that what he reads is more real to him than his actual experiences. Except singing, at present, he likes nothing so well as reading.
He came upon the word leap and the inevitable question followed, “What is it, leap ?” Miss Cora illustrated and he imitated her. When he returned to the table he remarked, “Leap means jump.” He read, “There is some apple pie in the pail. I spied it.” He exclaimed, “What is it ? I want to see some spy!” Miss S. and Willie went to the opposite corners of the room. Miss S. put her hands up telescope fashion to her eyes and called, “I spy von.” Willie did the same, to his great satisfaction. To-day Miss Cora taught Willie a Christmas song:? “Once unto the shepherds seated on the ground Came a heavenly message, glory shone around And the shepherds listening, heard the angels say Christ is bora among you, Christ is born to-day.” lie did not know the words, but he knew the tune and immediately began singing other words to it. Probably he heard the words which were sung to this tune in the Kindergarten last year. When putting away his blocks to-day, Miss Cora tried to have him sing while arranging them. At first he could not do it, but later he succeeded.
Willie knows the days of the week and the months of the year. He pronounces these words fairly well.
Sixtieth day, Dec. 17th.?To-day Willie brought his first important piece of work from his class upstairs. lie had written the words “Merry Christmas” very large, and he showed the paper with much pride, though he would not say a word about it. His reading to-day was fluent and intelligent. He read, “You look pale,” and immediately exclaimed, “What is pale ? I want to see it.” Turning to Miss S., he said, “I want to see you look pale.” When the word was explained to him he asked “Do I look pale?”
The reading was interrupted by a boy bringing in the scales. We wished to have Willie weighed, but we did not know whether he would be frightened at the apparatus. Miss S. and Miss Cora in turn stepped on the scales and were weighed. Then the boy was weighed, and the number of pounds commented on. Finally Miss S. remarked casually, “Perhaps Willie would like to be weighed,” whereupon, without a word, he stepped on the scales and watched the adjustment with great interest. He weighs fifty-three pounds in his ordinary clothing.
His singing to-day gave him much pleasure. He kept time with his whole body. He begged Miss S. to sing. She told him that she could not, and he immediately began to teach her. He sang a phrase or a line and waited for her to imitate it. Every effort is made to have him do things for other people, as this is probably the only way in which he will develop social interest. He is so accustomed to having people do things for him that he expects help as a matter of course. He does not show a sign of gratitude. He is being trained to say “Thank you,” but he says it very mechanically without any appreciation of its meaning.
When lie finished teaching Miss S. to sing, he asked her to dance with him. Just then Miss B., a student, entered. Miss S. suggested that he ask her to dance. lie went to her and without a sign of his usual timidity, he said, “You dance with me?” This is the first time he has asked a favor of a stranger. At the close of the dance Miss S. tried to make him understand that the young lady had been very kind to him, but his “Thank you” was very perfunctory.
Miss S. asked whether he would include Miss B. in the number of people that he liked. He immediately began a kind of chant,?”I like Miss Cora, I like Miss S., I like myself, I like Miss B.” Later he repeated this formula, putting Miss B. next to Miss S. and mentioning himself last. It was next suggested that he include the members of his family in this list. lie named them all quite willingly, but when Miss S. asked, “Now, how many people do you like?” he answered, “Four.”
We have not yet discovered his reason for separating his family from school, but to his understanding, the two groups are very different.*
Sixty-first day, I)cc. 18th.?To-day Willie read as usual, and sang all the songs that he knows, viz., four, including the Christmas song which Miss Cora has recently taught him. The work of putting away his number blocks takes some time. To-day he sang as he worked, at first “tra, la, la,” a refrain of one of his songs, later, he fitted his own words to a kindergarten tune?thus, “This is the way we play with our blocks? play with our blocks, play with our blocks, play with our blocks all on a Wednesday morning.” The last phrase was suggested by Miss Cora, as he could not make a refrain that suited him, though he tried several times.
Miss Cora danced with him, while he sang appropriate words to the same tune, “This is the way we dance to-day, we dance to-day,” etc.
Again to-day Miss S. asked him how many people he liked. He immediately chanted his litany:?”I like Miss Cora, I like Miss S., I like Miss B., I like myself.” A little later he said, “And I like Miss N.,” adding with a laugh, “That makes five.” (Miss N”. is his Kindergarten teacher whom he has never mentioned before.) *This is not an unusual case. Children like Willie receive no pleasure from intercourse with their family and naturally have no affection for them. Usually it is the trainer who first awakens in them a modicum of filial affection.?Editor.
Again Miss S. had him name the members of his family. Then she said, “Willie, you like nine people.” He would not speak. Just as he was leaving, Miss Cora said, “Now, Willie, before you go, tell me how many people you like.” He answered very positively, “Four.” He ran across the street, looked back at his friends in the doorway, and laughed.
He left behind him his paper upon which he had written “Santa Klaus” very large. Miss S. called him by name, holding out the paper. He did not look around. A man on the street called to him, “Hi! Youngster, that lady wants you!” He turned instantly and came running back to the door quite like any boy. This is the first time that any stranger has succeeded in gaining his attention in the street.
To-day Willie had his first exercise in deep breathing with a view to developing his chest.
Sixty-second day, Dec. 19^.?To-day Willie read intelligently. The word friend occurred in a sentence. He paused and then exclaimed, “Miss Cora is my friend. Miss S. is my friend. Papa is my friend. Mama is my friend. I am a friend (to?) myself.” He seemed to mean that he is his own friend. He read, “I know why the bee works,” paused and asked, “Why he work ?” then added quickly, “I know, to make honey.”
After reading, singing and dancing, he began to work with the “Tillich blocks.” He first made a set of additions with the blocks, and later expressed the same in figures on the blackboard. He has done something similar before and has already learned the plus sign +, and the sign of equality =. When he began writing the figures, Miss S. guided his movements by putting her hand over his. Suddenly he shook her hand off, and said a little impatiently, “I do it myself.” After that, Miss S. gave him a suggestion here and there.
His table when finislfed stood thus, 1= 1 1+1= 2 . 1+1+1= 3 1+1+1+1= 4 1+1+1+1+1= 5 1+1+1+1+1+1= 6 1+1+1+1+1+1+1= 7 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1= 8 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1= 9 L=10 He was greatly pleased with tlie appearance of his work, and read the table through from beginning to end in a loud voice. When putting away his blocks, he sang, “This is the way we play with our blocks,” then changed abruptly to, “This is the way we place our blocks.” The box being filled with blocks, and the cover put on, he carried it to its corner, skipping all the way and singing, “This is the way we carry our blocks,” etc.
Fitting to a tune the words appropriate to his actions, is spontaneous and gives him great pleasure. When he began to get ready to go home, he was in a great hurry, and exclaimed,? “My father is home; my mother is home; my sister is home, and I must go home and see the folks.” Miss S. asked whether he talked when he was at home. lie said, “Yes, I talk at home in a big voice, like a big man. My father is a big man and I talk like him.”
This was the last lesson before the Christmas vacation. When told that he could not come back until the next year, Willie was troubled, and repeatedly asked Miss S. what she was going to do that she could not let him come.
C onclusion. The sixty-two days of special training extended over a period of three months, from September 18th to December 19th. The special training occupied only forty minutes of each day. The results of this brief period of training are sufficient to establish a striking contrast in mental and physical condition between the boy at the end and the same boy at the beginning of the period. In physical appearance the improvement is marked. His face has lost its vacant, strained appearance and now suggests a degree of purpose and repose. The eyes are no longer constantly turned upward; they are under the control of the child’s will and may be directed by himself, or at the command of another, to this or that object. The mouth is usually closed when in repose and its movements are under fairly good control. The head and limbs are also coming under control, so that regulated movements are becoming possible. The low-class movements still to be observed are a horizontal ridging or wrinkling of the forehead, and a tendency to turn the head away when spoken to. Looking one full in the face is never self-determined, but always squires the suggestion of his teacher, and involves also a definite effort of the will on his part. Nevertheless he makes this effort readily enough when told to do so. The rotary motion of the head and the tendency of the eyes to gaze toward the ceiling has disappeared.
In turning the head away from the person he addresses, the movement is now more nearly horizontal. The writhing movement of the body has disappeared. It was expected that the development of rhythmic movements would correct this difficulty, and the experiment lias been very successful. The dancing has been of great service to him. Through the rhythm he has developed a very effective control both of limbs and trunk. He can now go up and down stairs without a guiding hand and every day walks to and fro from his home to the school without an attendant. At first totally helpless with respect to the care of his own person, he is now able to attend to many of his needs himself. He cannot yet put on his overcoat and button it, neither can he put on his overshoes. He does not comprehend the necessity of doing these things because they have always been done for him, yet his fingers are skillful in drawing and writing as well as in the simple construction of material things.
Three months ago he was to all appearances inarticulate, practically without a single word at his command; now he knows between 800 and 1000 words, most of which are of one or two syllables. He can, however, nse a few words of three syllables, for the most part compounded of one or two syllable words. He knows, though he does not use, three or four words of four syllables. He articulates very well, though with words of more than two syllables he is liable to slur the last syllable. The acquisition of language has not only given him a medium for social intercourse, it has filled him with courage and a sense of security which goes far to suppress his fears. As a result, he is beginning to manifest some interest in people.
Reading is a source of great pleasure and lias contributed in large measure toward developing a capacity for persistent effort. His reading and number work give evidence of the existence of an intellectual capacity, which never would have been suspected three months ago. His pleasure in grasping these subjects is greater than any pleasure he derives from the mere exercise of the senses. His understanding of situations presented in his reading lessons is quite equal to that of a normal child of his age, and his apprehension of mathematical relations is rather above the average.
Perception is keen, as shown by his accuracy in imitating what he sees and hears. His imagination, lively and liable to exaggeration, is perhaps morbid, certainly so in connection with his fears. Next to his defective speech, his greatest weakness probably lies here. The thing imagined has a tendency to dominate the actual experience. Great effort must be made to develop a logical imagination by keeping associations time to known laws. He greatly enjoys play, but is liable to get lost in it. It is difficult while the play is going 011 to keep it rational, that is, to keep it free from delusion.
In the beginning, fear had rendered him practically helpless. At the present time this obstacle to progress has not been entirely eliminated, although his fears no longer render him utterly helpless. As the emotion of fear has diminished, his capacity for happiness has greatly increased. Instead of a hopeless, dreary and somewhat repulsive object, he is becoming an interesting, even an entertaining little companion, who desires to share his pleasures with others. Nevertheless, he manifests very little if any sympathy, and he shows as yet no tendency toward helpfulness and 110 sense of responsibility. Neither has he shown any definite signs of love or fondness. lie likes to be with Miss S. and Miss Cora, but this is largely because they give him an opportunity for certain definite activities which afford him pleasure. Upon the whole, the development of the intellectual emotions has been more decisive than that of the sensuous emotions; he seems to experience a positive joy in the understanding of his reading and number work. lie shows no trace of anger of any kind. He is punctual and very obedient.
His attention, originally fitful and feeble, is controlled by his pleasures. All rhythmic movements tend to steady his attention because the pleasure is recurrent. His general mental improvement is shown in his newly acquired consciousness of personal desires, for the attainment of which he can, to a certain extent, adapt means to ends. When his training was undertaken, he was a creature without pleasure, without purpose, and largely at the mercy of reflex movements.
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