Discusses the importance of sand and water play for young children. Provides a partial list of materials and equipment used to provide sensory experiences at sand and water tables. Offers a buying guide listing manufacturers of sand and water tables, product descriptions, and ordering information. (DR)

Superimposes findings of research in learning disabilities on Piagetian stages of cognitive development. Results suggest that during sensorimotor stage, diagnosis of learning disabilities is difficult. Findings suggest delay exists in cognitive development of learning-disabled children during elementary school years, which corresponds to…

Motor learning is a very basic, essential form of learning that appears to share common mechanisms across different motor systems. We evaluate and compare a few conceptual models for learning in a relatively simple neural system, the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) of vertebrates. We also compare the different animal models that have been used to…

Historically, sensory systems have been largely ignored as potential loci of information storage in the neurobiology of learning and memory. They continued to be relegated to the role of "sensory analyzers" despite consistent findings of associatively induced enhancement of responses in primary sensory cortices to behaviorally important signal…

The experiments examined qualitative and quantitative changes in the dynamics of learning a novel motor skill (roller ball task) as a function of the manipulation of a control parameter (initial ball speed). The focus was on the relation between the rates of change in performance over practice time and the changing time scales of the evolving…

Olfactory discrimination (OD) learning consists of two phases: an initial N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor--sensitive rule-learning phase, followed by an NMDA receptor (NMDAR)--insensitive pair-learning phase. The rule-learning phase is accompanied by changes in the composition and function of NMDARs at synapses in the piriform cortex,…

Two recent conferences on the science of sport have focused on the topic of sports for older people. Investigations have been made on the special demand in motor learning, in table-tennis, family-tennis, gymnastics, and dancing. This paper summarizes some experiences and conclusions drawn from these studies, including special notes on isolated…

The paper describes a Logo environment designed by an occupational therapist to help 10 disabled students (6-9 years old) explore relative distance, directionality, and spatial relations. The program's goals include enhancing students' language development, planning skills, decision making, risk taking, and problem solving. Logo is briefly…

Researchers have found that the elderly are as capable of learning motor skills as younger persons but perform better under some conditions than others. For example, the elderly learn and perform motor skills more efficiently when there is additional time to respond to stimulus. Tasks which are self-regulated rather than directed by an external…

Literature examining elements influencing the production of consistent human movement is reviewed in this paper. The review is limited to theoretical papers and research studies on sport-related tasks that utilize actual representations of movement, e.g., film, electromyogram, or videotape; rather than movement only implied from goal attainment,…

This paper describes the value of movement education for all children and provides examples of various worksheets that can be used in the physical education setting to enhance various lesson themes and objectives for movement education. The use of worksheets can assist the physical educator in determining if concepts can be demonstrated in a…

The motor creativity of preschoolers when encountering a novel piece of athletic equipment was observed and analyzed. The London Trestle Tree Apparatus, consisting of eight trestles of various sizes, two poles, a rope ladder, two ropes, pommel top, rubber top, balance bar, slide plank, ladder, and beat board was erected for the children to use in…

A motor-sensory training program was established to meet developmental motor needs of behaviorally disordered children (6 to 8 years old). Most of the children had motor deficiencies, as well as diagnosed learning disabilities, and some children were entered in the program not because of motor deficiencies but because of their extreme motor…