Four principles are drawn from approximately 100 years of research in the area of motor development. The principles are (1) children are not miniature adults, (2) boys and girls (children) are more alike than different, (3) good things are earned, and (4) no body (nobody) is perfect. Five sections of this article introduce some of the major…

Jaw movement patterns were examined longitudinally in a 3-year-old male with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and compared with a typically developing control group. The child with CAS was followed for 8 months, until he began accurately and consistently producing the bilabial phonemes /p/, /b/, and /m/. A movement tracking system was used to…

This study examined changes in rhythmic arm shaking and laterality biases in infants observed longitudinally at three points: just prior to, at, and just following reduplicated babble onset. Infants (ranging in age from 4 to 9 months at babble onset) were videotaped at home as they played with two visually identical audible and silent rattles…

Although significant attention has been given to promoting physical activity among children, little attention has been given to the developmental process of how children learn to move or to the changing role that motor skill development plays in children's physical activity levels as they grow. In order to successfully address the obesity…

These experiments explored the role of prior experience in 12- to 18-month-old infants' tool-directed actions. In Experiment 1, infants' use of a familiar tool (spoon) to accomplish a novel task (turning on lights inside a box) was examined. Infants tended to grasp the spoon by its handle even when doing so made solving the task impossible (the…

This study examined the effects of Knowledge of Results, Knowledge of Performance and a combination of the two in the learning of a novel motor task by totally blind subjects. Thirty-three totally blind subjects tossed a velcro ball dart at a target while receiving augmented verbal information feedback. Each subject completed three learning…

Age, verbal intelligence, and scores on the Primary Mental Abilities Space Test correlated with various aspects of the understanding of the right-left concept. (Author/RB)

Bruner's (1973) review of infant skill development is updated and extended by (a) placing it in the context of recent motor learning research; (b) discussing the concept of efference in its most recent conceptualization; and (c) explicating certain implicit themes relevant to a theory of infant motor intelligence. (ED)

GRADES OR AGES: Not specified. It appears to be for preschool and kindergarten. SUBJECT MATTER: Motor activities, including awareness of self, gross motor activities, fine motor activities, position in space, eye-motor skills, and creative motor skills. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is divided into six sections, one for each of…

This study assesses, via the description of a performance typology, that portion of a sample of educable retarded boys whose profiles over four factor-defined components of the motor domain resemble those profiles subtended by intellectually normal boys over the same four components. Tryon's Condensation Method was used to develop person-clusters…

Seven suggestions for interesting, effective dance instruction in elementary school are presented: (1) don't call it dance; (2) begin gradually; (3) start with a cooperative class; (4) use props; (5) use vigorous movements; (6) avoid "dance to the music"; and (7) progress from movement to imagery. (MJB)

All teachers of physical education have in common the fact that they are teaching their students how to move their bodies effectively, efficiently, and gracefully. (JD)

Some methods for evaluating movements are reviewed and their usefulness for neuropediatric diagnosis discussed. (SBH)

Complex motor tics associated with vocal tics indicate a high likelihood of Tourette syndrome; children with this syndrome may also have learning disabilities and attentional disorders. Individuals may be treated with stimulant drugs which may precipitate or exacerbate tics. Pharmacotherapy is available for management of tics and attentional…