Fair Chance for Tommy (1957)

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] this is Tommy fourth-grade ten years old full of the joy of life for Tommy and his classmates each new day holds bright promise there are new things to see new things to do new games to play for Tommy each new day is an adventure an adventure in friendship in learning in Discovery mrs. Clark knows and understands Tommy and the other pupils in her fourth grade she knows that to keep up with his classmates Tommy needs some extra help that seat in front of the room his eyeglasses the special book holder each is part of the help Tommy and 70,000 other children in the United States need to keep up with their classmates for Tommy is a partially seeing child in his regular classroom there are some things he cannot see clearly an ordinary map clear to others is a blur to Tommy and so for him and for other partially seeing children there is a larger clearer map in a special classroom there too is miss Allen a special teacher trained to work with partially seeing children from her Tommy and the other visually handicapped children in his school get the special help they need to learn with to keep up with his regular fourth-grade classmates in her classroom miss Allen uses an array of skills and equipment designed to meet the needs of her students partially seeing pupils who come to her from many different grades from diverse school backgrounds the special classroom has typewriters with extra large sized letters reading writing and spelling sheets on which big letters can be written there are magnifying devices recording machines audio devices adjustable book stands which hold books at a proper and helpful angle to the eyes and books with large size type for easier seeing for easier reading this soft wide diameter chalk that Miss Allen is using makes a heavier line than ordinary chalk a line that partially seeing children can see more easily grace is an older girl one of Miss Alan's more advanced students the machine she is learning to type on is one with larger than usual letters the individual attention miss Allen is giving her the practical and valuable skill grace is acquiring in the special classroom will give her a fair chance in her regular grade room and a fair chance to in the years which lie beyond her schooling in miss Alan's room an ordinary dictionary with small face print is replaced with one which has larger letters larger words words more quickly more easily readable today there are hundreds of books available printed in such special large face type miss Allen and other teachers of partially seeing children all over the country make good use of these in their classrooms there are times however when the book desired is printed only in regular type to help partially seeing children who must read and study with these books a magnifying device is conveniently at hand when swung over the book it enlarges words and pictures so that these can be read and studied Nancy and Marcia are six years old first graders in their regular classrooms and just beginning to learn reading both are visually handicapped to help them keep up with their class miss Allen has prepared a large-sized reading chart one that fits their learning level one that uses big letters for small words no I mean 110 that's right Nancy Tim it is not bad for a first grader Miss Alan's special training enables her to work with pupils of all grade levels this is important because in her room children of many different grades often attend class at the same time the special classroom makes good use of modern audio equipment many exciting and educational children's stories are available only in books of standard size type but partially seeing children can listen to many such stories on specially made records like Tommy here pupils in Miss Alan's room soon learn to use these records on the classroom phonograph why she's followed a fly poor old lady I think she'll die poor old lady she swallowed a cow I don't know why she swallowed a cow she swallowed the cow to catch the dog she swallowed the dog to catch the cat she swallowed the cat to catch the bird she swallowed the bird to catch the spider she swallowed a spider to catch the fly I don't know why she swallowed a fly poor lady I think she'll die poor old lady she swallowed a horse she died of course another useful audio device is the recording machine here miss Allen is recording a prepared lesson one that fits the needs of a particular group of pupils while the recorder plays back the lesson miss Allen is free to give her attention to a different group or child why are for carrying current was put above the street and a cable and wheel from the car were connected to it this wheel was called a troller and later trolley so these to supplement that improved Tommy's general classroom work Allen takes time to give him some extra help every day in many different ways the special classroom teacher gives such attention to her pupils like boys and girls whose vision is normal partially seeing children very inability to learn in adjustment to particular subjects in aptitudes for some pupils a touch of individual attention can mean the difference between success and failure in the subject fortunately most schools and communities have a relatively small number of children who are partially seeing and so it is not too difficult for the special teacher to give sufficient time and effort to each child in areas where only two or three partially seeing children attend the school the special teacher travels from school to school on a pre-arranged schedule to teach her pupils but whatever the arrangement teachers of the partially seeing have one common aim to help their pupils avoid a penalty for being visually handicapped to help each child strengthen his knowledge to help each child develop and learn to the best of his ability when it's time to rejoin his regular class Tommy can carry on with the others as a full-fledged member of his own fourth grade key to the success of Tommy's education and his progress as a student is the periodic conference between mrs. Clarke and Miss Allen in these exchanges of information they discussed Tommy's schoolwork and his progress in a particular subject or they might talk of Miss Alan's visit to Tommy's home to check on his need for good lighting at these conferences too there are discussions of the doctor's report on Tommy's eye condition or the school nurses report on the information the doctor has given her all in all Tommy's teachers agree it is plain that the extra assistance he is getting is helping him keep up with his class as mrs. Clarke puts it partially seeing children so different not so different that's the key idea given that extra bit of help in the special classroom Tommy finds it easy to keep up with the others in his regular class he can acquire simple and useful manual skills while attending the school workshop with the other boys along with his fellow fourth graders he is able to attend the regularly scheduled art classes there to learn how to draw to learn to paint to explore with his friends and classmates the wonders of color and form and line he can take part in the play and recreation periods in the school playground and join with other boys and girls and spirited and exciting games in our schools as in our homes we help our children form the patterns of their later lives each child we soon learn is an individual a growing person whose life will be as full whose life will be as rich as his individual talents and opportunities will permit if only we help each one to use these talents fully our partially seeing children ask no less of us deserve no less for our partially seeing children we can do no less each of them needs what Tommy needs what Tommy is getting a fair chance for a fair start in life [Music]