Lip-Reading (1912)

Edward B, Nitchie, founder of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing, now the Nitchie School of Lip-Reading, Inc, wrote "LIP-READING Principles and Practice". The development and perfecting of this meritorious work on lip-reading was an undertaking of stupendous proportion, but, nevertheless, was finished in a masterful, scientific and scholarly manner by Mr. Nitchie. A review of the original edition reveals an uncanny ability on the part of the writer to utilize the most progressive methods used in the teaching of reading today. Modern scientific methods of education have also been employed in the complete revision of the text made by Elizabeth Helm Nitchie and Gertrude Torrey, both thoroughly capable Nitchie School teachers of vast and successful experience. This revision was undertaken to bring the original reading exercises up to date and to include new methods of teaching, which have proved to be effective. One of the most wholesome and most inspiring messages is to be found in the chapter "To the Friends of the Deaf." An acceptance of the philosophy presented in this chapter would add much to the sum total of happiness for the hard-of-hearing and their friends. It not only offers hope, but also supplies a specific program. At the same time it encourages the friends of the deaf to develop not only a thoughtful attitude, but also above all a sympathetic understanding. One of the characteristic features of the modern project method of teaching is that the situations provided for in the school should be essentially the same as those found in life. The methods included in this book follow this modern idea by showing the necessity of teaching and learning the movements of the lips made in speaking at an ordinary rate. Emphasis is placed on special and individual sounds and on word drill, but the complete thought or sentence is considered the unit rather than individual words or sounds.