An Assessment of Three Programmed Reading Courses for Use by the Mentally Retarded

Mentally retarded children have considerable difficulty acquiring comprehensive reading skills. Their problems in this area are directly related to their comparative difficulty in handling abstractions, developing generalizations, and in expanding concepts.(Goldstein, 1962). The ability to read is of vital importance to the educable mentally retarded child and is needed to help him move about in his environment safely and independently. In our culture the ability to read is a must for employment. Next to the acquisition of adequate language to satisfy social needs, reading should hold top priority in the list of tool subjects for the mentally retarded.