DuBard School for Language Disorders Word Block Game (1960s)

Top of image has a horizontal gold strip of paper, with seven squares of equal size drawn in a row. The first square has the word “this”. The second square has the word “it”. The third square has the word “he”. The fourth square has “she”. Each of the words is written in cursive with pencil. The last three squares are empty. Below the gold paper strip is a background of black fabric. On the fabric are cubes of equal size. The cubes are arranged in rows with some of the blocks off-center. The top row has two blocks. The first cube has white paper taped around the sides to form a paper block. The first cube has the word “leaf” facing up, written in cursive with pencil. The second cube is brown wood with no word written on it. The second row of cubes has three cubes total. The first also has white paper taped around the cube with the word “coat” written in cursive with pencil. The second cube is wrapped with yellow paper and the word “are” is written in cursive with red ink. The third cube is wrapped with white paper and has the word “cat” written in cursive with pencil. The third row has two cubes. The first is wrapped in white paper with the word “they” written in cursive with pencil. The second is wrapped in white paper with the word “like” written in cursive with pencil. The fourth and final row of cubes has two cubes total. The first cube is wrapped in white paper with the word “she” written in cursive with pencil. The second cube is wrapped in white paper with the word “an” written in cursive with pencil.

This year the DuBard School for Language Disorders celebrates its 60th anniversary. Founded in 1962 by Dr. Etoile DuBard as the Preschool Deaf and Aphasic Program, the school was later renamed the DuBard School for Language Disorders in 1996. Since its inception, the school has been a division of Speech and Hearing Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi. The DuBard School serves students with language-speech disorders, deafness and hearing impairments, and written language disorders. The school began with only three students and has since expanded to eighty students. Services are offered to students between the ages of three and thirteen.  The DuBard School also supports the community through outclient therapy programs and referral services.

In celebration of this anniversary, this month’s Item of the Month is a word block game made by Dr. Etoile DuBard. In the early 1960s, therapy materials for these disorders were not readily available for purchase. As a result, Dr. DuBard made her own therapy materials including image clippings, flashcards, card games, and more. This game is one such example of these homemade therapy materials. Dr. DuBard purchased toy wooden blocks and cut out strips of paper that were then taped around the blocks. Words were written on each side of the blocks and groups of them would be rolled to create new sentences or to match words drawn on a corresponding paper chart. Words on the blocks could then be erased and new words added to continue the game.  Having the paper taped to the cubes allowed the words to be more visible than when the words were written on the blocks themselves. Games and exercises like this one helped students with word recognition, spelling, and context clues.

Even though Dr. DuBard passed away in 2003, the school continues her legacy by utilizing the internationally recognized DuBard Association Method® to help students achieve the skills necessary to be successful in traditional educational settings. Additional information about the DuBard School for Language Disorders may be found on our website.

These blocks and other archived DuBard materials may be viewed in the Special Collections Reading Room of McCain Library and Archives in room 305. Questions about the DuBard School materials may be directed to Clancy Smith, Records Management Specialist, at or 601.266.4969.

Sources Consulted:

https://www.usm.edu/dubard/dubard-school-history-mission.php

https://www.usm.edu/dubard/untitled.php

Text by Jessica Clark, Assistant Curator of Historical Manuscripts.