Day Nine: A Powerful Person That Could Not Hear

Today was wonderful!  We started the day with one of our favorite songs in sign language and then watched a fun song from "Signing Time."  I am really impressed by how quickly the children are learning sign language.  They have learned the alphabet and have now learned 46 signs from, My First Book of Sign Language.  I am always amazed by how much the kids can take in and retain.

There are so many fun and exciting things to learn about disabilities but there are also some hard things.  I told the kids that I was going to show them something that might make them a little sad but it will have a beautiful ending!  I shared about a little girl that was born quite some time ago and she was both deaf and blind.  She used to throw a lot of temper tantrums (they all gave me some great examples of a temper tantrum from their siblings) because she was so frustrated.  She lived in a world that was dark and quiet and she couldn't communicate but one day things changed.  I showed them the water scene from a movie about Helen Keller.  She couldn't see sign language but she could feel it and that is how she learned to communicate.  The kids were able to watch a reenactment of Helen giving a speech as an adult and of course the kids were amazed!

During the day we go through my butterfly box where the kids put the money they have raised for the wheelchairs.  They are always so excited to share what they did to raise money.  One little girl brought in $20.  I asked her what she did to earn it and she said, "Nothing."  I asked her how she got the $20 and she said her grandmother donated it.  I exclaimed,

"That is wonderful!  Did you share about what you are doing in your class?'  She told me that she told her grandmother all about it.  I said, 'That is wonderful!'  You have been part of the butterfly effect.  Joni told me about the children that need wheelchairs.  I told you about the children that need wheelchairs and now you have told your grandmother.  That is how the butterfly effect works!"  My sweet girl then had a big smile on her face and was very proud of her accomplishment.

We ended our time together by doing our "happy dance" song!  They have now raised enough money for two wheelchairs!