Worlds Apart (1967, sound)

During the past decade, many Americans suddenly became aware that there were 40 million poverty-stricken people living in their midst. I've been out of work over 4 years. Way over 4 years. I ain't had no steady job. I go down and try to get work and can't get no work. I can't get a porter job, a elevator job, but nothing. This is rough out here. It's very rough. Ain't got no No kind, no relief, no nothing. And with typical American faith in action, private agencies and the federal government began a frontal assault on problems associated with poverty. No single political, social, or educational effort is sufficient to alleviate all the conditions associated with poverty. Education, however, is one area that is beginning to mobilize in recognition of the special role it can play. Look, we see Sally, see Bunny, Sally, and Bobby. See see. See see at the farm. Soon the family came to and there we stop. Here we are at the farm. And here is grandmother. "Hello, grandmother," said Dick. "We came to see you." "Hello, hello," said grandmother. "See who came to the farm. It is our family. It is good to have all our family here at the farm." "Hello, grandmother," said Jane. "Hello, grandfather," said Dick. "Bow-wow," said Spot. "Bow-wow, bow-wow." "Hello, Spot," said grandfather. "It is good to have you here with our family." In the past, education has made a few isolated attempts to meet the needs of all children, but in the main, the schools have failed the children of the poor. I mean, what do you need a diploma for? Diploma what? Diploma's just going to like what the boy said. A friend of mine said a diploma's going to get you cutting cheese in a factory someplace or pushing a broom. Just pushing If you If that's all you're working for all them years just get a diploma to hang on the wall and catch dust. You can have it then. Suppose I ask you the question that I want to ask you. Can you tell me, Allen, where you found the answer to the first question? First question. >> a choice of three answers that can >> Any effective school program must overcome the hopelessness and impotency that the child might bring with him. His experience and the development of skills are not always in accord with the demands of the school. In contrast, the middle-class child is often nourished by a background of experiences which prepare him for success in school. But the slum child seldom has that chance. It's according to Dr. Elliot Shapiro, principal of a school in the slums of New York, who has discovered that You know, we've come across a problem that I think many persons in middle-class communities are not aware of. And that is the problem of self-reliance. Uh that our children become self-reliant far, far too early. Very often the middle-class people want their children to become self-reliant, and the children are not sufficiently self-reliant. Our children become as self-reliant as young adults when they are 6, 7, 8 years of age. In this very, very self-reliance, they give up that dependency relationship that is so necessary to childhood. And I want to stress emphatically the importance of a long childhood. But when our children are forced to give up their long childhood and become young adults too early, they are forced to give up their curiosity. We know that children in their long childhood, uh when they have a long childhood, remain curious. This curiosity energizes education. This curiosity is the source of learning. When our children, our poor children become so self-reliant so early, they give up this long childhood. They give up their human right. They give up their right as a word to be part of the human species. We must have effective, efficient, warm-hearted adults in the lives of the children. The mothers are loving mothers, but uh because of force of circumstances can't remain sufficiently close uh to provide, you might say, that dependency relationship that is the hallmark of being a child. The what's Now, let's leave the hoop empty of all seeds. In an effort to develop within the child many of the skills which lead to success in school, the Institute for Developmental Studies, headed by Dr. Martin Deutsch, has devised a program aimed at the preschool youngster. Okay, who knows what shape the hoop is? The Institute program emphasizes basic concepts which are developed through a myriad of activities. For example, such seemingly simple concepts as those of size, shape, and color, which are themselves tools for further learning, are all geared to laying the foundation for a successful school career. Round. Round like a circle. Round like a circle. By providing the child with many of the experiences basic to learning, the Institute hopes to pave the way for success in school and a meaningful place in society, breaking the patterns of discrimination, ceaseless unemployment, and frustration faced by so many of the poor. An important part of the preschool program is establishing the child's sense of himself as a unique individual who has a definite and special place in the classroom. Again, seemingly simple things like clothes hooks marked with his name and songs using his name are used by the teacher to establish a warm relationship with the child while giving him a sense of himself as a special person. Okay. Can you see some other things in that mirror? Can you see some other things in that mirror? You see me? What else? What do you see? You see me? What else do you see? You see yourself. Look, look at your face. What do you see on your face? Good for you. Right now, touch your eyes. Can you touch your eyes? Yes. Can you touch your nose? Fine. And your mouth? Very good. Here, and we're going to do something very special. We're going to talk about some parts of your face. Now, Larry Williams, touch your nose. Hallelujah. Will you touch your nose? Hallelujah. Robert Weston, touch your ears. Hallelujah. Dr. Martin Deutsch and his staff are concerned with developing curriculum and classroom practices that can become comprehensive enrichment programs that meet the special needs and problems of the child. These programs begin with the preschool child. Dr. Deutsch, I know that we've discussed this before, but what are the areas that you feel should be stressed in this program in order to prepare our children for really full and fruitful school careers? Uh we of course I think identified uh many areas, but if we had to separate out a few, I think self-esteem, uh self-respect, concept formation, general environmental information, visual and auditory distinctions, and uh possibly most important, language efficiency. Dr. Deutsch, language is particularly our concern. Should we be concerned with changing the language of our children? Or because our Our come into the preschool program with the usual grammatical errors and incomplete sentences. Uh we have to of course build on existing language at the same time improving vocabulary and helping the child to communicate clearly with his teachers in the language of the school. In what grade do our children seem to begin to fall behind? Well, the crucial years for these children seem to be sometime around third grade. I think this is one of the reasons that we have emphasized the necessity of extending the program to the third grade in order to stabilize some of the initial change. We believe though there are certain differences that appear as early as kindergarten and maybe >> Our music class in higher grades demonstrates how the pupils can learn spelling and word formation concepts while acting out a musical skill which they apparently enjoy with some humor. Now, we are going to join Shh. Say it. Where E Say it. E Just 1 minute. To make E one word and the word is E Painting and blocks are used to develop the child's sense of shapes, colors, and even himself while giving him a sense of achievement and discovery. Also aiding the child is the individual attention he receives from a teacher who takes time to look with interest and care at each pupil's work. Small classes make it possible for the teacher to provide individual attention. Although the institute under Dr. Deutsch's guidance continues to develop programs aimed at meeting the needs of the younger child, there are still older children trying to face the demands of a modern complex society handicapped by what in their formative years were inadequate school programs. Now, what we're going to have is Leonard act as a student looking for a job. Martin is going to play the part of a person at an agency who will receive his call. Now, let's see how Leonard would go about trying to get a job on the telephone. clearly and and when she uh she pointed out the day that she was graduating and and everything. Now, why do you think this would be important for someone to point out the day that they would graduate if they were going for a job? It's Floats. Uh if I'm calling in Regard Regard to your ad for this position on employment posted possibilities possibilities with your company. May I have your name again, please? Yes, this is Miss Floats. Spelled? Floats. Could you come Could you come to the office for an interview sometime this week? Parent meetings with the teacher are stressed. These meetings are a first step toward building a positive relationship between the school and the family. Uh Mrs. Walker, have you found helpful the suggestions made in the parents meetings about things you can do with Raquel at home? Well, she helps me. Mhm. When I I I have a pretty more girls uh older than her and they don't like to help. Mhm. The oldest one when they come from school at 3:00, they she make some chocolate for them, but she always leave everything on the table. So, Raquel comes after her and takes everything from the table and put it up in the in the shelf where it belongs. And always is telling me that her sister don't do what she should do. Mrs. Carrizales, have you found some changes in Angela? Yes, I have found some changes. In fact, I'm I'm very pleased of the way that she's been behaving at home and does things for herself. And I feel I'm very fortunate that I'm one of the mothers that have a little girl going to these classes. Uh Mrs. Gracie, Alvin was in the class last year. Well, with Alvin, he uh likes to write stories. I mean, tell stories and I write them for him and this way he brings them to school and uh I think he feels great because this is something that he's done himself with just my help for writing the story. And uh I think the program is just wonderful, really, and I'm glad that I was one of the mothers fortunate enough to be in it, also. Mrs. Barber, you have had older children who went to kindergarten but did not have the nursery experience as Alexandria. Could you tell us some of the differences that you've seen with Alexandria and the other children? Yes, one aspect that happened recently, she was able to write her name and get her library card. So, I was very happy because my other children were not able to do so. And she loves books very much. And what are some of the other things that you've noticed about the children since attending the nursery school? >> But the hope for the future is the young child of today. For it is here where the best hope for the future lies, with the child. For the child is the root of the man.