If a student with mild mental retardation is having difficulty pronouncing the correct ending for words, what should the teacher focus on?

Focusing on larger word parts and identifying word families is an effective approach for a student struggling with ending sounds. This strategy allows the student to recognize patterns within groups of words that share similar endings, which can facilitate understanding and pronunciation of those word endings. For instance, by examining words within a family, such as "cat," "bat," and "hat," the student can better grasp how common endings are formed and pronounced.

This method enhances phonemic awareness, as it encourages the student to think about the commonalities in the sounds and structures of words, rather than isolating individual letters or focusing solely on repetitive pronunciation without context. Additionally, this approach connects to the natural linguistics of language learning, where understanding broader relationships within a language can aid in mastering specific skills, such as pronunciation.