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HISTORICAL STATEMENT.

The McCowen Oral School for Young Deaf Children was established in Chicago in 1883, under the name of "The Voice and Hearing School for the Deaf," its first location being at No. 3363 Indiana avenue.

The principal, Miss Mary McCowen, was formerly a teacher in the Nebraska State Institute for the Deaf and Dumb at Omaha, where she acquired the sign-language and used it in the class- room. Led by previous long experience in the public schools to believe that better results ought in some way to be obtained for the deaf, Miss McCowen made a thorough study of the history of deaf-mute instruction and of the methods then employed, and began giving her leisure time to experiments in different directions. During the school year of 1881-'2 a number of audiphones were presented to the Institution, and the superintendent, knowing of Miss McCowen's experiments, asked her to make use of them, and afforded her every facility for making a thorough test and experiment as to the possibilities of developing latent hearing by this means.

EXPERIMENTS IN DEVELOPING LATENT HEARING.

The results of these continued experiments were so satisfactory that in September, 1882, the beginning class in the Institution, numbering about twenty, was, at her request, assigned to her for oral and aural training -- the first instance, so far as known, where a class of deaf pupils were taught exclusively by the auricular method or the persistent use of latent hearing, which latent hearing has since been proved by tests in numerous institutions of this country to exist in not less than ten per cent. of their pupils.

During the latter part of the year the use of the audiphones was almost wholly discontinued, from the fact that the pupils had discovered that without the audiphones they could really hear, and were happy to be relieved of the necessity of holding the instrument in position, which was necessarily wearisome and had become irksome to them.

The results of this year far surpassed all expectation, and believing that if such improvement in voice and language could be obtained where the pupils used the sign-language exclusively, except during the few hours in the class-room, much more might justly be expected where pupils were surrounded entirely by speaking people, Miss McCowen severed her connection with the Nebraska Institution, and in October, 1888, opened in Chicago her private home School.

PRIVATE SCHOOL.

Although the School was originally intended for the education of that class of the deaf having hearing susceptible of training, the totally deaf were not refused admission, and after a time they formed, as they still do, a large proportion of the most successful pupils of the School, lacking only in that more perfect modulation of the voice which even a slight degree of hearing makes possible.

EARLY EDUCATION FOR THE DEAF.

Convinced that one cause for the comparatively meagre results in many institutions was the fact that pupils were not admitted until the most impressionable years were past, this School, from the first, gave special prominence to the necessity for earlier education for the deaf, and in its first circulars announced that pupils would be received at the age of five years. A few months' experience, however, made it evident that even this involved too great a loss of time, and soon a pupil was received at the age of four, and then one at three, since which time the very early education of the deaf has been advocated and the Infant Kindergarten Department has been a special feature of the School, in harmonious relations with the more advanced classes, thus forming the ideal home school.

RAPID GROWTH.

Within six months the School outgrew its first quarters on Indiana avenue and was removed to 63d and Wabash avenue, into a large residence with spacious and attractive grounds thus securing necessary room for outdoor recreation. As time went on, the increase in numbers justified the increase in school-room facilities, and to the latest and best apparatus of every kind were added, for the more advanced pupils, a shop for wood-carving, a regular font of type, and also a typewriter.

Later this property was purchased, and in 1888 it was thoroughly remodelled and refitted, and more roomy quarters were provided for the increasing Kindergarten department.

DESTROYED BY FIRE.

In February of the following year, during the temporary absence in the city of the principal, the building and contents were totally destroyed by fire, although, fortunately, without accident or injury to any of the family. Returning in the evening, only smoking ruins were found. Before bed-time, however, a house had been rented, partially furnished, and provisioned. Thanks to the neighbors and friends, who brought in supplementary supplies of all kinds, for temporary use, the children retired comfortable in their new home, and the next day school work was resumed.

This place, though the grounds were spacious and the house ample for living apartments, lacked class-room accommodation, and, permission being obtained, a school-house with three class-rooms and a gymnasium was at once erected on the grounds. These quarters at 6027 Indiana avenue were occupied until May, 1890, when the School was transferred to its present location, 6550 Yale avenue, which property, in the meantime, had been purchased and remodelled for its occupancy.

INCORPORATION.

In November, 1890, the School was incorporated under the name of "The McCowen Oral School for Young Deaf Children," with the following gentlemen as board of trustees:

JOHN W. STREETER, M.D., . .President.
SIDNEY O. BLAIR,. . .Secretary.
JOHN C. BLACK,. . .Treasurer.
A. C. BARTLETT.
O. S. A. SPRAGUE.
JOY MORTON.
W. S. HENDERSON.

They assumed the financial control of the School, leaving Miss McCowen entirely free to carry out her advanced ideas with regard to the age of admission of pupils, and, as before, in full control and management of the School. A large neighboring house was soon rented for the better accommodation of the family.

In the summer of 1892 the ten-room house next adjoining the School on the north was purchased, and serves as dormitories for the girls. A building for school-rooms and gymnasium was also erected between the two, immediately in the rear, a covered walk on the second floor connecting it with both. In the original building, an eighteen-room house, are the office, reception-room, family parlor, dining-rooms, kitchen, and the dormitories for the boys.

The expenses of the School are met by tuition fees, supplemented by donations, there still being no permanent endowment.

The School has, from the first, published a monthly paper, called The New Method, which is, so far as we know, the only one published by an oral school.

CHILDREN CONTINUALLY IN THE CARE OF TEACHERS.

The home-life of the pupils is made to conform as nearly as possible to that of the best family home, they being encouraged by their teachers to have a knowledge of and an interest in all the details of home-life, each being taught to yield his special preferences, when necessary, to the best interests of all. The older are interested in the younger, and the little ones, in turn, learn many things from them more naturally and more rapidly than if associated only with grown persons. The regular lessons are conducted in the school-rooms at regular school-hours; the education of the child, however, begins when he rises in the morning, and ends only when he falls asleep at night. While dressing and undressing he is taught, not laboriously but gradually, by daily repetition, the names of the different articles of clothing and the language expressing the different actions involved, as "Button my shoe," "Unbutton my apron," "Put on," "Take off, "Comb my hair," etc. In the bath-room, as they gather regularly after each meal with a teacher, they are taught the names and language pertaining thereto, as water, soap, wash, wipe, sponge, towel, toothbrush, etc.

In the dining-room the classes of children, with their teachers, sit at separate tables. A grace suitable to the comprehension of each class is written on the black-board and read in concert; a few simple words for the youngest, and for the older pupils such forms as are in use in Christian families. While the food is being served, and during the progress of the meal, the children are taught the names of the different articles of food and of table and dining-room service, and from the first are expected to ask by word of mouth for what they want. At first the attempt to speak the name in accepted, as "Bread"; as this by repetition becomes more and more distinct the complete sentence is required, as " I want bread"; later, one after another, all the polite forms of table talk are taught and practised until they become habitual. Older classes engage in conversation with the teacher on the current topics of the day.

During play-hours, as well as in the class-room, the children are continually in the care of the teacher, who participates in their games and recreations, and forestalls mischief by properly directing their energies. This affords the best possible opportunity for studying the individual characteristics of each child, thus rendering it possible to adapt the instruction of the class-room to his real capabilities. Another advantage of this constant presence of a teacher is that the child struggling to express a thought is given at once the proper word, and thus unconsciously forms the habit of trying to express himself in words rather than in motions, which he must otherwise inevitably do; and being continually addressed in connected language he naturally acquires facility in lip-reading, which he does in advance of his ability to put his own thought into speech, just as a hearing babe understands what is said to him long before he is able to make any response in words.

HAND-WORK.

The art department comprises instruction in pencil and charcoal-drawing, sketching from life and nature, designing, painting in water colors, and clay-modelling; a lesson in one of these being given daily to all, even the youngest. The babies, however, have their work for some time at the black-board, charcoal and the pencil only being introduced after they have acquired considerable ease in holding the chalk, and a good free movement.

We consider the small hand-slate, as generally used in schools, the greatest enemy to good hand-work, and banish it from our premises.

Our Art room is in every sense a "study" room, the ability to represent the object presented by the teacher accurately and with dispatch being considered of more importance than the making of beautiful "pictures."

The results of these careful lessons are visible on the blackboards of every school-room. From the first baby sentence sent home, every "letter" is filled with illustrations, and Christmas cards, birth-day remembrances, and souvenirs for all occasions are the work of their own hands, made with little assistance, and by the older pupils usually without even a suggestion, proving to our satisfaction that careful work in the beginning pays in every department.

The Swedish system of sewing is taught, and this, with the regular lessons and sloyd, are given to all pupils above the kindergarten.

KINDERGARTEN.

We make the kindergarten system the basis underlying all the work of the School, having had from one to three trained kindergartners since the opening of the second year of school, and, believing that a happy occupation induces thought and furnishes the best possible incentive to speech, we give great prominence to every department of hand-work. Believing, also, that the ability to picture a thought and to write it in words adds to its accuracy, and tends directly to habits of more careful observation and reliable memory, the kindergarten is, therefore, associated at once with drawing and writing on the black-board. The little tot of three, being given several times every day short free-arm exercises on the black-board, learns to hold the chalk lightly and move the arm properly, and is prepared to take up both drawing and writing with ease and facility. When this ease of movement is once thoroughly acquired, what is to many a task becomes to him a pleasure, and the black-board is henceforth a never-ending source of instruction and amusement, giving him an avenue of almost perfect expression, and furnishing his teacher an opportunity of supplying the word for which he hungers.

The kindergarten department comprises the babies and least advanced pupils, who during school-hours occupy the gymnasium, a room 45 x 25. They work in small classes and are separated by black-board screens, which are easily moved and admit of freedom for the children.

The beginners have short lessons with the bright colors and pleasing forms of the kindergarten, which, with drawing, writing, Delsarte, and the preparatory articulation exercises, serve to promote habits of attention and self-control, and to develop the power of observation. At the same time, as they are always addressed by speech, they learn to recognize language in sentences, and, after a time, to speak oft-repeated easy words and to imitate the hand-work in the various departments, and these, with the necessary frequent rests and games, occupy the time.

The second class continue the exercises for the cultivation of the sense of sight and touch, but give more time to articulation and the acquisition of a vocabulary, using the kindergarten occupations as an incentive to speech, and writing and drawing freely in every lesson.

The third class give less time to the kindergarten occupations, take simple combinations of numbers with objects, draw and write on the black-board with rapidity and ease, learn to translate script into print, using primers and very easy books; the chief object of every lesson being the development of thought and a better and freer use of elementary language.

The older classes have regular lessons from text-books, such as are used in the public schools. The most advanced class comprises three pupils-eleven, twelve, and thirteen years of age, the last two congenitally deaf-who have been in school six and seven years. They have lessons in arithmetic, geography, history, physiology, and word-analysis. Their perfect understanding by speech-reading and their unusual ability to express their thoughts without hesitancy in either spoken or written language confirm the conviction that has been growing upon us for the past nine years, namely, that infant kindergarten schools are a necessity for the best development of the deaf.

SUMMARY.

1. Teach the deaf child in infancy the things a hearing child unconsciously learns during that period.

2. Use kindergarten methods; give the child something to do, then supply the word to express the awakened thought.

3. Surround the child with black-boards; teach drawing and writing from the beginning -- first for the sake of freedom of expression, and the latter for accuracy -- insist upon accuracy from the beginning.

4. Encourage the child to ask questions, and cultivate in him a desire personally to investigate everything that comes within his observation.

5. Place books suited to his comprehension within his reach, encourage him to read aloud, take the time to talk freely and frequently with him.

By using this natural method from early infancy, a deaf child will acquire a knowledge and use of language which will enable him to take up the regular school-room curriculum at much less disadvantage than is possible where, as under existing circumstances, a large per cent. of deaf children from ten to fifteen years of age are still struggling with the a, b, c of language.

Ten years ago, in 1883, our School opened as the only one, so far as known, to solicit very young deaf children as pupils, and from that time there has been a steady growth of public opinion favoring the earlier education of the deaf. In 1888, five years later, the "Sarah Fuller Home for Little Children Who Cannot Hear" was established in Massachusetts. In 1889 the "Albany Home School for the Oral Instruction of the Deaf," and in 1892 the "Home for the Training in Speech of Deaf Children before they are of School Age" in Philadelphia followed.

We hope these little schools are but the beginning, and that the next ten years will see established all over the Union, in the great centres of population, infant kindergartens for the deaf, where they will not only be taught to talk, but will be given that careful training of the whole nature, by skilful kindergarten methods, which are now considered absolutely necessary for the proper development of the latent possibilities of the hearing child and are immeasurably more necessary for the deaf child.

TO PARENTS AND FRIENDS.

Things to Remember in Addressing Deaf children.

1. Gain the attention of the child before addressing him.

2. Speak naturally; be sure the first word is understood; if necessary unduly to emphasize a new word in first giving it, repeat the sentence till it is easily recognized when spoken in a perfectly natural manner.

3. Avoid mouthing.

4. Avoid speaking slowly or separating words.

5. Avoid confining yourself to a limited vocabulary or to any one form of expression. Use a variety of idioms.

6. Use correct conversational forms of language always in addressing the child.

TEACHERS OF THE SCHOOL.

Principal.
MARY T. MCCOWEN, B. D.

Teachers.
DORA MONTGOMERY, M. ANNIE FREEMAN,
PEARL MCCOWEN, KATHERINE E. COAKER,
ANNA MURRAY, FLORENCE BENNETT.

In Charge Of Kindergarten.
KATHERINE F. COAKER.

Teacher of Sewing and Sloyd.
ANNA MURRAY.

Teacher of Art.
JEAN POND MINER.