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Unit 15: Mentally Retarted: Prevention and Teaching Strategies

readiness programmes. It is advisable to wait until the child is intellectually and psychologically Notes
ready to accept the challenge.
(4) Graded Curriculums : It is true that these children learn more slowly than average children. So
that necessity of careful gradation of these subjects becomes a must. Here the teachers face
difficulties for gradation of students and for preparing the study materials for slow learners.
No doubt it is a tough task for teachers, still, not impossible to accomplish.
(5) Repetition : Mentally handicapped children have a poor memory. For them, reaching method
must provide for a considerable amount of repetition if learned material is to be retained.
However, there is no justification for learning. The children should understand the materials
clearly before facing any retention test. The memory span of these children can be increased by
making them interested and motivated. Research has shown that the memory span of these
children increases, if the learning materials have meaningful associations.
(6) Periods of Short Duration : Mentally retarded children have limited power of concentration.
For this reason, formal teaching periods should be kept fairly short. It is important to note as to
how long a child can concentrate when the subject is stimulating.
(7) Projects : ‘Introduction of Projects” or “Centres of Interest” is a significant approach for teaching
mentally retarded children. Research is on to know how this can be done without serious
disruption of the basic subject programme. The teachers should not introduce the topics around
which centres of interest grow and develop. But it should arise naturally out of classroom
situations where the manifestation of further information is clear. Here the point of origin may
be a short story, a poem, a song, a film or a picture in a magazine or newspaper. Undue
importance should not be given to the source, but the teacher must know how to present it
through careful planning and guidance.

Generally the defect of the mentally handicapped child lies in the area of relational
and abstract thought. So he faces difficulties in learning where the method of
communication is largely verbal.

Self Assessment
2. State whether the following statements are True or False:
(i) MR children need opportunities for group participation, so that correct social attitudes may
be developed.
(ii) Mentally retarted children have good power of concentration.
(iii) “Introduction of projects” or “centres of interest” is a significant approach for teaching mentally
retarted children.
(iv) Mentally handicapped children have a sharp memory.

15.3 Education in General School (Mainstreaming)

(1) EMR children should receive education in common with others in general schools. Educational
programme for the EMR children should aim at development of (a) Academic skills, (b) Social
competence. (c) Personal adjustment, and (d) Occupational adequacy.
(2) Depending upon the nature of retardation they may be educated in the regular classroom or
regular classroom with part time instruction in the resource room or special class in the regular
school.
(3) The curriculum at the primary stage should be an extension of that of pre-school education. The
curriculum for EMR children should be oriented towards providing readiness skills, language
development concept formation, socially adaptive behaviours and teaching basic of reading,
mathematics and handwriting. Teaching of tool subjects such as reading, arithmetic, handwriting,

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