Hand, Heart, and Mind: The Story of the Education of America's Deaf People [Hardcover]

Lou Ann Walker (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

The author of Amy: The Story of a Deaf Child examines the complex struggle by deaf students, from the early 1800s to the 1988 Gallaudet University student revolt, to enhance their educational opportunities.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-This book not only addresses the controversy concerning the virtues of oralism v. manualism, but also focuses on deaf people's struggle for civil rights. The well-written text covers education of the deaf from ancient Greece to the present, with particular attention paid to the raging debate between Alexander Graham Bell and Edward Miner Gallaudet over the proper method of communication. Also included is a section dealing with the 1988 Gallaudet University revolt, when student protests were successful in seeing a deaf man appointed president of the university. The text is well organized, interest-holding, and thoughtfully presented. Informative black-and-white photographs of average quality appear throughout.
Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. Walker thoroughly documents the prejudice, ignorance, infighting, controversies, and conflicting philosophies that have marked the history of the education of deaf people since the Middle Ages, focusing mainly on education since the early 1800s. She attempts to maintain a balanced point of view by discussing historical and current practices (oralism, combined methods, total communication, residential school placement, signing exact English, and more), but her support for the bilingual-bicultural approach, in which deaf children are taught mainly in American Sign Language, seems evident. Walker states that this approach is still "a subject of hot debate," but she concludes that debate is healthy and new, improved methods may arise from it. She also chronicles the "Deaf Pride" movement and lists the achievements of prominent deaf Americans and Canadians. An extensive bibliography of sources on deafness and signing is provided. Chris Sherman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803712251
• ISBN-13: 978-0803712256
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,402,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The hands, hearts, and minds of America's Deaf, April 12, 2001

By 

Rebecca Lynn (Pacifica, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hand, Heart, and Mind: The Story of the Education of America's Deaf People (Hardcover)

An intriguing history of the education of the deaf starting with ancient times to the middle ages. In the early 1800s, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet went to Europe and one year later returned with Laurent Clerc, a deaf priest and teacher of the deaf. Together they began the American School for the Deaf. Alexander Graham Bell who was a strong advocate of oralism while Gallaudet endorsed using American Sign Language. These two famous people started a raging war that continues today. There is extensive coverage about the "Deaf President Now" revolt that occurred in 1988 when a hearing president was selected for Gallaudet University (the only university for the deaf). The students successfully demanded that their school have a deaf president. An excellent book about the history of how the deaf have been repressed and slowly becoming liberated. As the mother of a deaf daughter, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A facinating account of the "under dogs" story!, March 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hand, Heart, and Mind: The Story of the Education of America's Deaf People (Hardcover)

Hand, Heart, and Mind is an awesome book! It really touched me because I know 3 deaf people. I never knew the hardships that those people went through. I thuroughly enjoyed this book!