Question

how can you say that miss sullivan was a great teacher ? illustrate with reference to how she taught helen to read words

Answer 1

Yes, I agree that Miss Sullivan was a good teacher and also a great human being. She understood Helen's condition and plight really well. She also helped Helen to cope with her handicap. The description of events given below speaks best about it:

Miss Sullivan had taken Helen by the hand across the fields where men were preparing the earth for the seed, to the banks of the Tennessee River. Sitting on the warm grass, she began the first lessons for Helen in the beneficence of nature. Helen learned how the sun and rain make the ground give life to trees that are not only pleasant to the sight but also good for food, how birds build their nest and thrive from land to land. Also, how every creature finds food and shelter. As Helen's knowledge of these things grew, she felt more and more the delight of the world she lived in. Long before she learned to do a sum in arithmetic or describe the shape of the earth, Miss Sullivan had taught her to find the beauty in the fragrant woods, in every blade of grass and in the curves and dimples of her baby sister's hand. She linked her earliest thoughts with nature and made her attuned to the beauty that abounds in the world. Her teaching methods were not par for the course but they believed in the natural capabilities of nature to educate the sportive Helen as the girl herself was so eager to learn from anything around her. Miss Sullivan understood the true capabilities of her student and designed her teaching methods accordingly. When Helen had lost her confidence to write following the Frost Fairy episode, it was Miss Sullivan who consoled her and helped her in every way possible. It was with the hope of restoring Helen's self-confidence that she persuaded Helen to write for the Youth's Companion. This brief account was prophetic in its intent because if Helen had not written this, she would have succumbed to her fears. Helen wrote timidly and fearfully but she persevered as her teacher continued to egg her on. It helped Helen to find her bearings again and opened her up to a life of trial that came with a truer knowledge of life. In her words,she had been living an unconscious life, acted upon by circumstances but from then onwards, she began to take charge with no small measure of help from her teacher.  
Miss Sullivan understood the true capabilities of her student and designed her teaching methods accordingly. When Helen had lost her confidence to write following the Frost Fairy episode, it was Miss Sullivan who consoled her and helped her in every way possible. It was with the hope of restoring Helen's self-confidence that she persuaded Helen to write for the Youth's Companion. This brief account was prophetic in its intent because if Helen had not written this, she would have succumbed to her fears. Helen wrote timidly and fearfully but she persevered as her teacher continued to egg her on. It helped Helen to find her bearings again and opened her up to a life of trial that came with a truer knowledge of life. In her words,she had been living an unconscious life, acted upon by circumstances but from then onwards, she began to take charge with no small measure of help from her teacher.