Games And Exercises For Mental Defectives

PREFACE maining possible with feeble-minded children from that which will enabIe them to eat less like an animal and make known their physical wants-in the case of idiots-up to considerable efficiency in certain lines of manual and industrial work, for the morons. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic as formal studies are of but little value--only a small percentage of the very highest grades ever attaining enough efficiency to make use of them after instruction ceases. Defectives of all grades lack energy and initiative. They do not therefore, of their own accord, develop the physical coordinations that normal children do. Accordingly they must be exercised along these lines if they are to attain to the highest of their limited capacity. Not having the judgment and foresight, the ambition, of normal children, special efforts must be put forward to hold their interest while exercises for coordiration are being given. The most natural way to accomplish this is through the medium of games. Miss Wrightson has brought together in convenient form a large number of games especially adapted to accomplish these results. Her long experience with feeble-minded children is a guarantee of their usefulness and efficacy for the purpose. It should be fully appreciated by teachers, parents and superintendents that the playing of these games is not mere play, but definite trcainitzg of the best kind. In many cases there is little else to be done. The teacher should select such games as are most interesting to her special group and practice these until the children are reasonably proficient in them or until they prove uninteresting. The teacher unfamiliar with feeble minds will perhaps think some of the games here described of no value. It is always hard for the more intelligent to understand the less intelligent, for normal teachers to understand defective chiIdren. It should be remembered that the joy of accomplishmeilt is one of the greatest joys of life for all grades of intelligence. It is the fact that the list includes games adapted to the simplest minds which constitutes one of its excellencies. It should not be forgotten that these games not only develop coordination and attention manners, morals, self-control, altruism, patience and many more desirable qualities are involved. What more can education do than develop to the Iimit of the individuals capacity these qualities which, possessed even in a smaII degree, will heIp to make him a social rather than an anti-social being Th games and exercises in this book were written for use among mothers and teachers of feeble- minded children, the object being to help develop muscular control and to quicken the sense percep- tions. The most difficult among the exercises could be mastered with ease by a normal child six years of age. The following instructions should be observed I. Each one of the exercises should be put before the child in a spirit of play, thereby doing away in some measure with depression and inertia. 2. Absolute simplicity in the training is essential. The manner in which a game is played is of more importance than the game itself. A sim-ple game or exer- cise taught in a compIex manner will produce a confusion v of ideas in the mind of the child and mean failure in training. 3. Aim to produce one idea at. a time in the mind of the child. 4. In teaching mental defectives the personality of the teacher plays an important part...