Reading and
writing are two huge key parts of a child’s education. Children are introduced
to reading and writing as early as the first grade. I remember writing my first
“story” in grade one. Students were taught how to read and write through visualization
exercises. Most elementary school
classrooms have posters of the alphabet on the walls. Which is a great way for
children to start learning the alphabet. A song that children can sing to
memorize the alphabet is another teaching method. These methods are a great way
to teach children, but not all children can benefit from them. Helen Keller is
a perfect example. Helen Keller was born in 1880, and at the age of 19 months
Keller lost her eyesight and hearing due to a severe fever. (Helen Keller
International, 2013)
Helen’s
education and learning exercises were very different from mine. Over time I was
not only learning how to read and write in school. I was also learning by observing
my surroundings. My parents were educating me each and everyday just by
speaking to me. This was a disadvantage for Keller because she could only learn
new words by working with her tutor, Anne Sullivan, using touch and feel
methods to learn new words. (Helen Keller International, 2013)
Learning
new vocabulary was not only just about physically writing and reading for
Keller, she also had to learn to understand what the word actually meant. I
could not imagine what it would be like trying to link a word to something you
have never physically seen. When teachers in my elementary would introduce new
vocabulary, they would also show a picture to help the students understand what
the word meant. Helen Keller’s first break through was in 1887. Keller and her
tutor, Anne Sullivan, were sitting outside at the water pump. Sullivan would go
back and forth from pouring water on Keller’s hand, and spelling the word W-A-T-E-R
onto Keller’s palm with the touch of her finger. After numerous repetitions
Keller finally realized the link between the mysterious liquid on her hand and
the word water. (Daniels, 2013)
It
is simply amazing that an individual who was robbed of her eye site and hearing
could accomplish so much. Not only did Keller learn how to read, write and
speak. She learned all of these skills at the same rate as some children who
did not have any type of disability. After Keller’s break through in 1887,
Keller managed to learn more then 600 words over that same summer. (Daniels,
2013)
Every
individual that has ever stepped foot on earth has had their ups and downs
through life. It is impossible for anyone to live a perfect life. Helen Keller
was stripped of her eye site and hearing at such an early stage of her life, but
she did not give up, she managed to push through it. She had the willpower to
overcome her disabilities, with the help of her loving family and friends.
Keller proved to thousands of people that anything is possible.
Daniels, P.
(2013). Helen Keller. Both Deaf and Blind became a writer and activist. About.com.
Retrieved on October 14, 2013 from http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/a/Helen-Keller.htm
Helen Keller
International. (2013) Helen Keller’s
Life. Retrieved on October 14, 2013, from
