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The article presents correctional methods for forming storytelling ability in preschool children with mental retardation. This skill is developed by implementing an educational program called Speech Development. Preschool pedagogy offers a variety of methods to teach how to tell stories, but those tend to disregard the specifics of speech and cognitive development in such a preschool group as mentally retarded children. The proposed method is based on P. Galperin’s principle of gradual formation of mental actions and suggests dividing the storytelling learning process into steps and sub-steps by providing each child with assistance he or she needs at each stage (sub-stage). This approach to the skills formation may have a positive effect on correctional and pedagogical work. The method involves teaching storytelling based on picture stories and descriptive stories.

The article presents diagnostic and corrective methods designed for study and correction of sensory-perceptual activity of preschool children with intellectual disabilities. Sensory-perceptual activity is considered as a basis for further cognitive development of children in this group. The diagnostic method of its study involves differential criteria for fulfilling experimental tasks by three groups of preschool children – normally developing children, children with developmental delay and children with mental retardation. The corrective method aimed at forming such sensory-perceptual processes, as the ability to relate the properties of subjects to predetermined reference forms and the ability to model planar shapes of subjects is based on the gradual formation of mental actions theory developed by P.Y. Galperin. Both the diagnostic and corrective methods are based on L.A. Venger’s approach to the study of sensory-perceptive activity of preschool children.

Level of cognitive activity is essential for child successful learning at school. The authors aimed at measuring the ability of preschool age children with mental retardation to establish a causal link between the events. Techniques of diagnostic and development of this ability are described. The first method is aimed at studying the level of development of the ability of preschool children with mental retardation to the establishment of a causal link between the events in relation to their normally developing peers. The second technique is aimed at developing preschool children with learning disabilities. Based on the techniques the authors conclude that the correction and development work can provide systematic and consistent principles. It is shown why it is important to form new skills basing on already acquired skills.

This paper presents a program of teaching mathematics for preschoolers with mental retardation with means of Kuisener sticks. Stages of correctional and pedagogical work, and the methods and techniques of teaching preschool math skills with numbers are described. Exercises during which children assimilate composition of number are introduced. Kuisener sticks are increasingly used in the work of preschool pedagogues for different educational and developmental objectives: building counting skills, the development of orientation in color, size, formation of constructive praxis, spatial representations, and others. Experience of the development of elementary mathematical concepts in preschool children with mental retardation with the help of Kuisener sticks is described.