It is a brisk Monday morning, and through the window the asp leaves rustle in the icy wind. Inside a classroom, twenty children sit in twenty desks, scribbling frantically as they try to keep up with what their teacher writes: A.B.C. Eyes travelling from the board to the paper, they watch in amazement as letters squeal out of their lead-tipped pencils; they have learned the English alphabet. But when a child cannot see, or hear, how then is it possible to learn such a thing? Who is it that could teach it and how? The Miracle Worker by William Gibson tells how one brave soul, Annie Sullivanm breached the blind gap with amazing methods of her very own. She discovered that it is possible by using touch, force, age, and experiences, to teach a blind-deaf to understand language.
Although Helen Keller lost all sight and hearing after suffering acute congestion, she was still able to feel and sense her surroundings. Tapping into her ability to touch, Ms. Sullivan used this ability to teach. In order for Helen to learn her letters, Annie formed them in her hand for Helen to feel and then copy. Perhaps that didn't mean anything to her at first - it was only a simple finger game. But by repeating the process over and over, Annie can show Helen that her hands are a form of communication. After spelling each word, Annie would move Helen's hand to feel the subject - whether it be dress, needles, etc. When Annie spells different words with her hands and the touches the it, she hopes that the connection can be made that a thing: W-A-T-E-R - IS water. Each movement and postition is a new a learning promotion.
