Forty-eight sixth-grade students were studied to determine their response to selected compressions of the narration of an instructional sound motion picture. A 4:10 color film with a 158 wpm recorded narration was shown at 25, 33-1/3 and 50 percent compression rates; performance time and quality were measured immediately and after 12-day…

A study was made of the relative effectiveness of five selected training devices with varying degrees of fidelity in the learning of a psychomotor task in which manipulative skill was not vital. The hypothesis was this: an increase in fidelity may not produce a corresponding increase in effectiveness, whereas such factors as ability to engage a…

This study involved fifty-eight 3-year-olds. It sought to determine whether the preschoolers could learn to discriminate visually the critical elements of shape through a program of perceptual-motor training, transfer such knowledge to similar but different shapes, and then resist the process of forgetting the critical elements. The children were…

Because some learning disorders in children may be associated with perceptual-motor dysfunction, this study tested the effects of sensorimotor treatment on learning disorders and explored the nature of neurodevelopmental disorders. In Part One, 64 neuromuscular, perceptual, and cognitive measurements made on 36 educationally handicapped children…

A 1 year preschool program and a summer elementary program in a model cities area southt to detect and remediate children's learning disabilities, and to evaluate remedial techniques. Thirty-three perceptually handicapped preschool children took a battery of eight tests, and daily received remediation through fine and gross motor training, and in…

The effects of a visual motor training program that attempts to teach 5-year-olds the underlying cognitive structures used in copying geometric designs are assessed. The Design Board Program teaches the child a systematic method for analyzing complex two-dimensional graphic patterns. It is based on the theory that accurate replication of geometric…

Although the controversy surrounding beginning reading instruction has often centered on the age at which it should be begun, i.e., at the ages of 5, 6, or 7, the position was taken in this study that by the time the child reaches these ages, it is too late for optimum development of reading readiness. As a part of a larger study, groups of…

Reviews history and research of sensorimotor and language development in handicapped children, two research studies on the relationship between sensorimotor development and communication status in nonverbal severely mentally retarded subjects, problems using standardized sensorimotor scales, and an alternative approach involving direct measurement…

Research on the cognitive development of play skills in young handicapped children is reviewed, focusing on two Piagetian styles of play--sensorimotor (exploratory) and symbolic (pretend and dramatic). The review emphasizes developmental patterns, areas of deficit, and implications for intervention in various handicapped groups. (Author/JDD)

Seventy-five Dutch elementary school students wrote letters of a cursive alphabet after presentation of printed and cursive letters. Analysis revealed that spatial ambiguity, allographic variability, contextual ambiguity, and letter frequency are determinants of the time needed by children for perceiving printed and producing corresponding cursive…

Presents a list of 11 advantages that hands-on science instruction has over science instruction via television. Teaching methods encourage activities that appeal to sensual stimulation, problem solving, student interests, and cooperative learning. (MDH)

The process of learning to play a musical instrument involves hours of individual practice. Even for players who do not reach high levels of competence, a considerable amount of time will be spent in working independently of the teacher, meaning that music learning demands a high level of self-sufficiency and the ability to be self-reflective if…

This study explored the application of authentic discovery laboratory techniques in the teaching of motor learning with 35 undergraduate students. Students received either the traditional theory driven protocol during the laboratory component of a required motor learning class or were asked to complete the laboratory component utilizing "consider"…

This study examined whether infants with Down syndrome (N=32) undergoing early motor training would benefit from their parents observing a clinician implement an intervention program with their child. Parents of half the children remained in the room while the clinician implemented motor stimulation techniques, while parents of the other half were…

Down Syndrome children (N=229), aged 1-83 months, from Australia, Canada, and Germany were tested using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Test performances on the Bayley's Mental and Motor scales were not dissimilar, leading to the conclusion that young Down Syndrome children from different countries with relatively comparable standards of…