- The Hindu, December 14, 2008 - Focus on the five elements of nature
- The Indian Express, December 13, 2008 - Exceptional children's brilliant performance
- The Hindu, April 21, 2008 - A step ahead for these children
- The Hindu, February 23, 2008 – Sports day
Focus on the five elements of nature
Chennai, December 14, 2008
Special Corresondent © Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
Exceptional children's brilliant performance
Chennai, December 13, 2008
Express News Service © Copyright 2008 The New Indian Express
A step ahead for these children
Chennai, April 21, 2008
Staff Reporter © Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
11th Sports Day at Madhuram Narayanan Centre - 2008
Chennai, February 22, 2008
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/23/stories/2008022357900200.htm
At the 11th edition of Madhuram Narayanan Centre’s sports day, held here on Friday, there was plenty to watch out for as children participated in 15 different kinds of events.
These innovative activities were not as much sport events held for competitive purposes as they were to ensure that the children had learnt well from their teachers and mothers. It was all about coordination of fingers and maintaining of attention span.
Before the two-hour event began, Vimala Kannan, principal of the centre for exceptional children, said mothers should not get upset if their child did not win.
There were dozens of medals to be won, and every participant was to be given a participation certificate at the end of the day, she informed them.
The sports day began with a traditional march past by children who could walk, followed by mothers with babies. Cricketer S. Badrinath took the salute and declared the day open by lighting the torch. He later gave away the prizes.
The events included lemon-and-spoon race, potato race and running race. But, there ended the usualness. Babies were tested on how quickly they could remove masks their mothers had placed on their faces. Toddlers, with the assistance of their mothers, had to pick berries from a bowl and transfer them onto a plate. Older children had to do the same routine without assistance. The special children, trained by the centre, need motivation to finish their jobs. Some children would simply forget to complete the task, while others would take a long time to string a few beads together.
“We have placed our children in mainstream schools. The competition is our mainstreamed children and our own children, and the other is between mainstreamed children and the children in their schools. I found that our children have been able to compete with the others in a particular area. If mainstream schools understand, recognise and give opportunities our children can also do well. What we can expect from society is acceptance. Teachers need knowledge about the disability and have sensitivity,. ” said Jaya Krishnaswamy, director, Madhuram Narayanan Centre.
Staff Reporter © Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
