Accession Number: 2009.20.12
Scope & Content: (a) BABL, Edited Tape, copy, Feb. 25, 1976, Children's Songs recorded by Ethyl Merwin, Fay Leach, Chris Kephart, Eleanor Pester, Sharon GoldBlatt, Margie MacDougall. (b) BABL, Copy of Revised SAM Songs, sung by Mike Hawn, March 1976, made as model for singers at KSB to learn songs. (c) BABL, Master, recording of Revised SAM Songs by singers from KSB, vocal/instrumental and instrumental only versions of each song. (d) BABL, Master, Nancy Austin's recording of children's poems & narratives, May 12, 1976. (e) BABL, Master, Sound Effects for Adult Demonstration Tape, Playing With a Ball, Going for a Ride, Tape of Robin Goldblatt, Sharon's daughter. (f) BABL, Master, Sound Effects for Adult Demonstration Tape, Mealtime, Going to the Grocery Store, Tape of George and Tony Paris, nephews of Margie MacDougall. (g) BABL Sound Effects Tape for Myself (Child Sounds), Summer 1976. (h) BABL Sound Effects Tape for My Things (Toy Sounds), Summer 1976. (i) BABL Sound Effects Tape, 1st Try My People Sounds. (j) BABL Sound Effects Tape, My Places (City Sounds). (k) BABL Sound Effects Tape, My Places (Kitchen), Summer 1976. (l) BABL Sound Effects Tape, My Family & Friends (People & Animals), Summer 1976. (m) BABL Sound Effects, Kid's Tape I, Child's Sounds, Summer 1976. (n) BABL Sound Effects, Kid's Tape II, Child's Sounds, Summer 1976. (o) BABL, Copy of Narrator and Parent portion of revised Adult Demonstration Tapes, recorded by John Polk and Nancy Austin, June 1976. (p) BABL, Copy of Instrumental and Vocal Tape 1, First 18 songs recorded by Mike Hawn, June 1976. (q) BABL, Copy of Children's Songs Tape 2, Unrevised and Uncategorized, recorded by Mike Hawn, August 1976, vocal and instrumental versions. (r) BABL, Copy of Children's Songs Tape 3, Unrevised and Uncategorized, recorded by Mike Hawn, August 1976, vocal and instrumental versions. (s) BABL, Children's Songs Tape #1, Myself, My Family & Friends, copy Oct 1976, unrevised versions of songs sent to reviewers: Emmans, Wray, Merwin. 35 minutes 30 seconds. (t) BABL, Children's Songs Tape #2, My Things, My Activities, copy Oct 1976, unrevised versions of songs sent to reviewers: Emmans, Wray, Merwin. 36 minutes 55 seconds. (u) BABL, Children's Songs Tape #3, My Places, Vocal and Auditory Play, copy Oct 1976, unrevised versions of songs sent to reviewers: Emmans, Wray, Merwin. 10 minutes, 57 seconds. (v) BABL, Master, Revised Songs by Mike Hawn, recorded March 1977.
Creator: American Printing House for the Blind
Interview Date: / /
Collection: APH Collection
Credit Line: APH Collection, 2009.20.
Administrative History: APH identified a "major deficit in appropriate auditory training materials" to teach audiolinguistic skills to very young visually impaired children in 1973. Requests from the field reiterated the need for more records and tapes. In January 1973, APH sponsored a workshop that brought together five outside consultants to guide development of such materials and establish priorities. The workshop, organized at APH by Fay Leach, led to the BABL (Basic Approach to Beginning Language) project, which prototyped workbooks and recorded materials before being discontinued in 1978. A major component of BABL was Sing About Me (SAM), 28 original songs based on common experiences of young children. Field testing and review by experts resulted in the programs termination "because of the number of revisions needed, the availability of recordings for young children, and the lack of technical expertise for recordings of this type at APH." (1978 Research Annual Report).
Media Type: 1" Open Reel
Subjects: Child development Children Children singing Education of disabled persons Education research