The Rochester Method was an educational approach for deaf students developed in the late 1800s that prohibited the use of sign language and focused solely on oralism using fingerspelling and speech. It was first implemented at the Rochester School for the Deaf in Rochester, New York. The method aimed to fully integrate deaf students into mainstream society through mastery of spoken and written English. It was the dominant model for deaf education for around 70 years but eventually declined as teachers found fingerspelling too time-consuming and impractical. While it produced strong language skills, modern approaches favor using multiple communication methods tailored to each student.

1. The Rochester Method
Reporter:
Niatalie G. Faulve

2. Rochester Method
 Was a way of educating deaf students by allowing
fingerspelling and oral language only
 To make deaf communication like English print as much
as possible (Musselman 2000)
 Was named after the Rochester, the home of the first
school to try to use this method, the Rochester School
for the Deaf (founded February 3,1876) formerly
Western New York Institute for Deaf-Mutes in Rochester,
New York

3. Dr. Isaac Lewis Peet
•had the idea to prohibit all gestures from deaf students’ school
life (Rosenberg-Naparsteck, 2002). He even recommended prohibiting
gestures in family life (1878)

4. Professor ZenasWestervelt
First superintendent of
Rochester School for the
Deaf in 1876 the school
used the combined method
of signing ang lip reading

5.  Professor ZenasWestervelt took on the idea and, in
1886, announced that his school was only using
fingerspelling and speech
 At the school, one-third of classroom time was in lip-
reading and speech (Rosenberg-Naparsteck, 2002).
 Students learned written language more quickly because
of fingerspelling (Rosenberg-Naparsteck, 2002).
 Rochester Method was developed to integrate deaf
people into the mainstream society

6.  The method survived for about 70 years, but essentially
died because it was impractical
 Teachers and even successful students found that
fingerspelling took too much time and energy
 Some research has shown that the Rochester Method
produces better language skills, but modern educators
tend to agree that using different strategies according to
the child’s abilities, experience and situation is the best
educational method (Musselman, 2000).

7. RULES FOR THE ROAD
 Use the hand you write with. That is your dominant hand.
The only time you would use the other hand is for emphasis
when you are much more advanced. If you are ambidextrous,
pick which hand you will use to fingerspell and consistently
use that hand. Do not go back and forth.
 For practice, hold your right wrist with your non-dominant
hand to make sure that your palm is facing out.
 Do NOT bounce your hand/arm. Holding it (#2) should help
you.
 Palm should ALWAYS face out towards the receiver
except for the letters “H” and “G.” With these letters, the
palm faces the signer.

8.  Speed is not important. Do NOT make it a goal to
fingerspell fast. Work on being smooth and on making
the letters of the word you are spelling flow together
without being choppy. Speed will just naturally develop
much later.
 Do NOT say the letters you are fingerspelling as you
spell – whether it is to yourself or to the receiver. This is
a TERRIBLE habit that is very hard to break.When you
fingerspell, especially when you’re new and not fluid, it
may be necessary that the deaf person watch both your
hands AND read your lips. Deaf people cannot lipread
letters. Say the word as you sign it. Also, saying it to
yourself creates a mind-set of each letter individually,
instead a word as a whole.

9.  Fingerspelling is NOT a substitute for a vocabulary word
you don’t know.Always use fingerspelling as a last
resort. Mime, gestures, using other words, and writing
are all better alternatives that fingerspelling everything
you don’t know.
 When reading someone’s fingerspelling, try to
see the whole word instead of looking for
letters. When we read print we don’t look at each letter.
The same thing applies here.

10. Practice Exercises
Van Plot Captain Philippines
Car Sign Soldier Thailand
All Crib Manager America
Job Sing Builder France
Kit Clap Journalist Senegal
Hot Bean Teacher Language
Toe Skit Driver Christian
New Hold Mechanic Braxton