448 chapter 47
GAME: TALKING WITHOUT WORDS
Children who hear very poorly or not at all often cannot speak. This is not because
they are stupid, but because they need to be able to hear in order to learn how to speak.
This game will help children appreciate the difficulties of a child who cannot speak, and
give the children ideas of how to ‘talk’ without words to a child who does not hear.
Play a game where someone explains something to others
through acting only, without words. The others must guess
what it is he is trying to say. The leader can start by acting out
a simple phrase like: “I want a glass of water.” The children
try to guess what the leader is doing. Next have the children
take turns acting out different things and ideas. Start with easy
phrases like:
• I want to go to sleep.
• Give me the ball.
And work toward more difficult ideas like:
• I’m lost and can’t find my house.
• I had a bad dream.
Discussion after the game:
• Was it difficult to explain something without talking?
• How did you feel when no one understood you?
• What did the other children do to help you tell them what you wanted to?
• Could they have done more? What?
• How might you help children who cannot speak to communicate?
Explain to the children about sign language for the deaf. This is like the game in
which children ‘talk’ with their hands. One form of sign language uses mostly the
alphabet. Another form, which deaf persons prefer for ‘talking’ with each other, uses
symbols for different actions and things.
If there is a deaf child
in the school, or in the
village or neighborhood,
perhaps the children
would be interested in
finding a way to help
that child learn to ‘sign’.
Or they may want to
learn themselves, in
order to be able to ‘talk’
with the deaf child.
Alphabet sign language used in the USA. More
discussion of sign language is on p. 266.
If 1 or 2 children in the class can learn to sign and then help translate spoken
language into sign language, this can allow the deaf children to learn and take part
more fully in the school and in the community. (For books to learn sign language, see
p. 639-640.) Also see Chapter 31.
Disabled village Children