What is unit approach in teaching life skills to children with mental retardation?
I’m not exactly sure what your special educator is referring to by unit approach, but my own approach is to wrap life skills into all aspects of the educational day. For instance, I’m teaching reading to a student with a very low IQ, and his parents are about to take him on a vacation. We will work on reading safety signs (information, restrooms, exit, enter, etc) so that he can be safe in a large, unfamiliar environment. I’ve been present when colleagues have taught manners, history, measuring, reading, and following instructions in a unit on Thanksgiving. I perceive Unit Approach to be a way to teach those skills that are not usually taught in a classroom (like manners and following instructions) while still trying to teach the academic content.
