A test of motor stage theory was conducted to screen cross-sectionally for the existence of "horizontal structure" among motor sequences within four movement components of overarm throwing and overarm striking for force. Subjects were 58 preschool and elementary school boys. Findings are discussed. (Author/MT)

Discusses major issues related to youth sport including definition of terms, development of motor skills, and relationship of physical activity to other aspects of development and to sex roles. Practical suggestions for the classroom teacher are presented to help them prepare children for an active and healthy life. (AS)

Investigated effects of changing the level of motor planning demands in simple drawing tasks for which children aged 5-11 years completed or copied squares and diamonds. Results were consistent with previous studies. Low planning demands resulted in less difference between square and diamond performance than did tasks demanding higher planning.…

This article summarizes viewpoints expressed at a British special education conference on whether it matters if children acquire a standard pencil grip. Some participants felt children should be encouraged to use the standard tripod grip, while others believed children should be allowed to choose their own style of grip. (CR)

The study compared the motor activities and environmental interactions of sighted and visually impaired children (N=36), ages 7-13. Analysis suggested that some developmental delays in visually impaired children may result from lack of gross motor interactions with the environment. Implications for the design of play environments and personnel…

This report puts forth the position of the Ministry of Education of Alberta, Canada, with respect to the physical development of the elementary school student as the basis for his or her cognitive, emotional, social, and moral development. The report describes normal physical development during the first 10 years of life in the domains of…

SHAPES--an acronym for the South Plains Child Care Management Services (SpCCMS) Helping, Assisting and Preparing Educators and Staff--is also the name of a preschool readiness curriculum that is being developed for use by administrators and teachers. The first phase of the curriculum development consists of the publication of five books to be used…

Physical education programs at the nursery and elementary school levels should stress the development and refinement of fundamental movement patterns and a wide variety of sport skills instead of dealing with specialized skill development through refined performance experiences. The developmental model of physical education is based on the…

Two studies investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes for young children by conducting a survey of parents of children with and without disabilities and early childhood and elementary professionals. Large proportions of both groups rated all of the outcomes as either critically or very important. (Contains references.) (CR)

Parents of 153 children with autism completed a questionnaire on early childhood behaviors of concern and age of onset. Parents identified the following concerns: gross motor difficulties; social awareness deficits; communication problems; and unusual preoccupations. There was a significant interval between parents first noticing abnormalities and…

This article comments on two studies (EC 629 876) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities. It discusses concerns relating to whether the research is sufficiently meritorious to result in a valid measure of growth outcomes suitable for national use. (Contains 4…

This response to comments on two studies (EC 629 876) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities, discusses the GGOs as a way for educators to provide a quick effective reading of a child's status and growth within a developmental area. (Contains 8 references.) (CR)

In all of his published work, Jean Piaget never abandoned his original theoretical framework for the understanding of human development. This framework insists that intelligence is essentially a biological phenomenon; its development is best understood as the development of a sophisticated and highly successful adaptation device. This device…

An understanding of the stages involved in children's development of sensory motor integration would aid in the creation of instructional strategies in physical education. These strategies would optimize both the child's physical coordination and creative development by increasing the correlation between the demands of a learning environment and…

This article comments on two studies (EC 629 875) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities. It argues that without additional efforts focusing on the nature of GGOs, the ultimate utility of the outcome measures will be limited. (Contains references.) (CR)