Spatial play in early childhood is associated with a variety of spatial and cognitive skills. However, these associations are often derived from studies in which different tasks are used across different age ranges, leaving open the question of how children's natural behaviors during spatial play develop from infancy into the early preschool…

This experiment examined how multiple planning constraints affect grasp posture planning in 6- to 10-year-old children (n = 16 in each group) by manipulating the intended object end-orientation (left end-down, right end-down) and initial precision demands (standard, initial precision) of a bar transport task. Results indicated that grasp posture…

Few studies have explored the development of response selection processes in children in the case of object manipulation. In the current research, we studied the "end-state comfort effect," the tendency to ensure a comfortable position at the end rather than at the beginning of simple object manipulation tasks. We used two versions of the…

This study examined the relationship of crossing the midline while reaching for objects to the development of bimanual reaching among infants ages 12, 18, and 26 weeks. Findings indicated that the frequency of two-hand grabbing and the number of midline reaches increased with age; most midline reaches were part of two-handed reaches and occurred…

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…

A resource and activity guide for the developmentally disabled that focuses on fine motor skills is presented. Attention is directed to fine motor behavior during the first year (vision, grasp, and release and reaching), and behaviors developing at 13 months (the interaction of fine motor and cognitive skills). An introductory section considers…

A resource and activity guide for the developmentally disabled that focuses on methods to teach students skills essential to learning is presented. It is noted that once students begin to acquire these critical skills, they can become active participants in group learning activities, rather than waiting for their turn in individual sessions. They…

Intended to assist teachers as they assess, plan for, and teach deaf blind students, this manual describes a process for adapting curricula for students who function within the 0-24 month developmental period, also known as the sensorimotor period. The manual's first section provides an overview of project activities including the literature…