Presents a mathematical model of the development of reaching behavior in infants, along with the results of two experiments that showed that infant movements could be decomposed into the underlying submovements using a principled method; and the angular error in infant reaches matches the form and magnitude of error assumed by the model. (MDM)

Reprints an article originally published in this journal in March, 1971. Surveys research on motor and perceptual programs for children with severe reading disability, finding no demonstrated special effectiveness for any such programs that claim to prevent or correct reading disabilities. Recommends motor-perceptual programs as general additions…

The paper addresses the need to define terms used in vision training before successful programs can be formulated. Critical behaviors in three categories (visual attending, visual examining, and visually guided motor) are considered as are program alternatives focusing on visual environment management, visual skills training, and visually…

The scores of 15 children (ages 5-10) with learning disabilities on the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills and the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration revealed that visual perception and visual motor skills are separate, though related, functions and that visual motor scores were significantly lower than visual perception scores. (JDD)

This study investigated the effects of a hand positioning device on aspects of upper extremity movement control and muscular activity and visual motor performance in 10 children with cerebral palsy. Although no significant results were found, individual subject data revealed a trend toward increased numbers of movement units, slower movements, and…

Discusses the value of practical life activities for building a firm foundation for future learning. Emphasizes the importance of movement, the growth of concentration, refinement of coordination, development of independence, and the support of mental order. Maintains that practical life activities should be introduced early, and provides a…

The use of sensory-motor approach of learning develops a long-term effect on young minds for future learning. The valuable ways of teaching students with projects that are multidisciplinary, thought provoking and emotionally involving are described.

This study investigated the ability to describe and categorize common objects following brain injury. Thirteen subjects with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 13 noninjured controls participated in this project. The project consisted of 3 parts: 1. A spontaneous condition, 2. A training session, and 3. An application condition.…

As human beings, we can interact with our environment through the sense of touch, which helps us to build an understanding of objects and events. The implications of touch for cognition are recognized by many educators who advocate the use of "hands-on" instruction. But is it possible to know something more completely by touching it? Does touch…

This paper offers teachers basic information about sensory integration and suggests strategies for managing classrooms which include children with sensory integrative dysfunction. The first section looks at what sensory integration is, noting especially the roles of the three "near senses": the vestibular system, the proprioceptive system, and the…

Elementary school physical education in the 1950s espoused the aims of complete education through programs which emphasized mastery of skills in games, sports, dance, and similar activities. Since the middle of the 1960s, movement education has gained in popularity as both a methodology and as a program focusing on learning through efficient…

Simple observation of dance movement, while very useful, can lead to misconceptions, about the physical realities of dance movement, that make learning difficult. This gap between reality and understanding can be reduced by the application of biomechanical techniques such as cinematography, electromyography, and force-plate analysis. Biomechanical…

The 33 lesson plans are intended to enhance the sensorimotor intelligence period of severely/profoundly handicapped children. It is stated that the conceptual framework of the "Stimulating Our Senses" (SOS) program is based on the description of sensorimotor intelligence by J. Piaget and attempts to strengthen growth and development in…

Several studies have shown an improvement in the performance of motor skills following imagined performance of the skill, or "mental practice." One unresolved issue has centered on whether the effect being observed is in fact a practice effect. As one alternative, the effect may be a simple instance of planning when to use a skill, or…