Teaching the blind through music

Teaching the blind through music

Hebron, Palestinian Territories and
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Palestinian students at an elementary school for the blind in the West Bank are learning English through song.

For the youngsters, it's a welcome departure from the usual braille textbooks and memorising the rules of grammar.

. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

"In specific subjects, I like to motivate them (to learn) so I teach them grammar or vocabulary by creating a song, because they feel better and they keep repeating it," said Hind Al-Tamimi.

"We are dealing with students with special needs, they are blind or visually impaired, so we urge them to depend on their hearing sense more than their sense of touch that they use in braille."

. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

But while students said they were delighted with the new curriculum, some parents in the religiously conservative town of Hebron are concerned the use of music in the classroom is not in harmony with Islamic tradition.

Rashid Rashid, English-language studies supervisor at the Palestinian Ministry of Education, said he has been assuring families that music can be a positive learning tool.

. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

"The people think that the musical methods and singing may lead to dancing, so they may not accept it," he said. "Before we adopted this method at all of the schools, we chose 25 schools and made it clear to the headmasters that the musical method is not taboo and not shameful."

Scientific studies have shown that musical sounds enhance neuroplasiticity, or the brain's ability to adapt and change as a result of training and experience, making learning easier.

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Slideshow

Students take part in an exercise.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

Students take part in an exercise.

Students play on a swing.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

Students play on a swing.

Pupils play.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

Pupils play.

A teacher stands next to a tree design featuring pictures of blind and visually impaired students.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

A teacher stands next to a tree design featuring pictures of blind and visually impaired students.

Students attend a lesson.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

Students attend a lesson.

Students attend a class, where they are taught English through song and music.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

Students attend a class, where they are taught English through song and music.

Pupils take part in a class.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

Pupils take part in a class.

Students walk down the stairs.
. Hebron, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Ammar Awad

Students walk down the stairs.

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