Music for Educable Mentally Retarded Children

Music plays an important role in the total educational
picture for both children and adults. Recently emphasis has
turned toward discovering the new role music can play in the
everyday lives of people in relation to use of leisure time.
Since music has become an integral part of the curriculum,
the purpose of this paper was to discover whether music contributes
to the education of the educable mentally retarded,
and if so, to what extent.
Professional literature related to this subject was
reviewed and summarized. The characteristics, problems, and
family life of these children were discussed. Persons who
teach mentally retarded children were interviewed to determine
the nature of the problems involved in teaching these
children music. Questions regarding the behavior of the
students toward music, correlating music with other subjects,
materials, length of music periods, curriculum content and
other pertinent areas were asked the interviewees.
After conducting an item analysis of the data secured
from the interviewees, the researcher determined that:
1. Music opens the doors for the teaching of other
subjects.
2. The characteristics of the retards should be kept
in mind when planning lessons.
3. A variety of materials was used to assist in the
teaching of music. 4. Mentally retarded children enjoy the same
activities as other children, however, consideration
must be given to their mental age and
social maturity when planning lessons.
5. Music can be effectively used to promote social
growth.