Teachers of young children know the importance of designing developmentally appropriate activities to encourage motor development but are not always prepared with the information they need to accomplish this design. When teachers choose movement activities, motor development theory must be understood and utilized in the planning of activities to…

The I CAN-Achievement Based Curriculum (ABC) program was designed to improve teaching and the quality of basic motor skill instruction in the subject area of physical education, the instructional levels of elementary through secondary, and for all children (handicapped and nonhandicapped) in mainstream and/or special education settings. The…

The Basic Stuff project is an effort to include more general concepts such as the effects of exercise, the learning of a new skill, and psychological factors influencing performance. The Basic Stuff Series attempts to summarize for teachers appropriate concepts and teaching methods. (JN)

The I CAN primary and secondary phsycial education curriculum resource materials were developed, field tested, and published 1971-1979. The Achievement Based Curriculum Model, a systematic training process designed to assist teachers in using the I CAN database resource materials to improve the quality of teaching and instruction, was developed…

Movement is motivated, encouraged, and governed by psycho-social development, motor development, and humanistic principles as well as by exercise physiology and kinesiology. The Basic Stuff series identifies the body of knowledge which underlies purposeful movement and can be integrated into concept or fundamental skill curricula. (JN)

One of the most important vehicles for learning during the preschool years is the experience of physical activity. Carefully planned situations in which children experiment with the processes of moving furnish them with experiences in learning to control objects and their bodies. (JN)

The project developed and evaluated an individualized physical education curriculum (called I CAN) for trainable mentally retarded children, ages 5-14 years. The instructional system consists of a set of primary psychomotor skills curriculum resource materials for individualizing instruction and a competency-based teaching guide for…

Eight papers present information about children's motor development and its application for program design. Jerry R. Thomas, Kathi T. Thomas, and Jere D. Gallagher discuss "Children's Processing of Information in Physical Activity and Sport." In "Toward Inclusion," G. S. Don Morris considers characteristics of children and of motor tasks with…

Curriculum theory is a rationale for defining purpose, selecting objectives, and determining content. Two rationales, movement analysis, and developmental stages are discussed and evaluated, in terms of their purposes, objectives, content, and teaching methods. (JN)

Describes the development of the motor section of Peabody College's preschool orientation and mobility (O&M) project curriculum for children with visual impairments. Theoretical foundations and curriculum design, as well as specific applications of motor skills to the development of formal O&M skills are presented. (SM)

This study sought to determine whether there are national training needs among staff of conductive education programs in New Zealand. Conductive education is a unified system of education for children and adults with a motor disorder whose disability has been caused by damage to the central nervous system. The study, which focuses primarily on…

This document is designed to assist physical education teachers in addressing deficiencies found in Michigan students when they were tested on physical education performance objectives. The objectives included are: (1) locomotion--run, hop, skip; (2) body projection--horizontal and vertical jump; (3) rhythm--move to an even beat; (4) object…

A taxonomy of psychomotor skills provides a classification of all human movement forms. The development of motor skills in this hierarchy begins with the reflexive physical responses of the infant. The stages of growth include basic interactive movement forms, skilled movement forms, and functional and creative movement forms. This taxonomy offers…

This booklet is designed for use by physical education teachers of children from preschool to the age of eight. The effects of physical activity on health, appearance, achievement, psycho-social development, aesthetic awareness, and survival skills are considered. The emphasis is on discovering how one moves and enjoys movement during the younger…

This practicum report describes an intervention designed to increase opportunities for children in a day care center and preschool to practice gross motor skills, and to help teachers gain confidence in their ability to foster children's maturation. It was expected that as a result of the intervention, 50 of 70 children would participate in gross…