View report page

138
work out their problems in a way which would not be
possible with a class of forty children. We feel, even
at this early stage, that the results have been very
promising and the class has proved to be of absorbing
interest to all members of the clinic staff as discussions
and conferences with Miss Denoual have been
frequent. We feel that we are all learning from this
and hope that it will be possible to set up a junior
class during this year. Mrs. Thomas, the Welfare
Assistant, has proved invaluable as she has entered
fully into the care and understanding of the children
in a way which has given them, as well as Miss
Oenoual, a great deal of help.
The special Remedial Classes have still provided
a very valuable service, particularly as this
year a rather larger proportion than usual of
secondary age children have been found to be in need
of extra help with their lessons. This creates a
problem, as children removed from these schools,
for however short a time, inevitably miss the wider
range of activities available there, although, where
possible, they still attend the craft classes at their
secondary schools. This has underlined the importance
of retarded children being referred to us while
they are still of the junior and infant age, so that
remedial work can be started where necessary before
too much of a defeatist attitude has made learning in
a normal situation almost impossible.
To try to change the approach to learning of
some of these senior school children, Miss Watt has
had a group of them for weekly sessions at the clinic.
Progress has been slow because before much formal
learning has been possible the children have had to
gain sufficient confidence in themselves to feel that
they can really tackle the normal school work. We
hope that the time spent on this indirect approach
will enable them to start learning more quickly and
to make more direct and profitable efforts towards
formal learning in school. We are fortunate in having
a large collection of remedial books at the clinic,
which we keep up to date, so that the children can
have an extensive choice of books within their ability."