Chapter 13 Childhood Perception and Perceptual-Motor Development © Gallahue, D.L., & Ozmun, J.C.. Understanding Motor Development. McGraw-Hill

Key Concept All Voluntary Movement Involves an Element of Perception; As Such, Childhood Motor Development Is Closely Associated With Perceptual-motor Functioning

The Role of Movement in Perceptual Development Visual-motor adjustment - Movement as a “necessary” condition? (motion hypothesis) - Movement as a “sufficient” condition? (perception may have an impact on movement skill learning)

Children’s Visual Perception (Table 13.1) Visual Acuity - Static (pick out detail in stationary objects, Snellen chart: 20/20) - Dynamic (pick out detail in moving objects) - Developmental aspects (rapid improvement 5-7, plateau 7-8, mature 10-12)

Children’s Visual Perception (cont.) Figure-ground Perception - Figure (object of regard) - Ground (background) - Developmental aspects (slow improvement 3-4, rapid improvement 4-6, mature 8-12)

Children’s Visual Perception (cont.) Depth Perception - Monocular depth cues (size, texture, shading etc.) - Binocular depth cues (retinal disparity gives depth) - Developmental aspects (frequent errors 3-4, few errors 5-6, rapid improvement 7-11, mature 12)

Children’s Visual Perception (cont.) Visual-motor Coordination - Object tracking & interception (coincidence-anticipation) - Developmental aspects (rapid improvement 3-7, slow improvement, 7-9, mature 11- 12)

Modifying Object Interception Activities Modify equipment (size, weight, color, texture) Modify rules (for perceptual clarity & consistency) Modify expectations (for level of development)

The Perceptual-motor Process Sensory input (visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic sensory receptors) Sensory integration (organizing incoming data with stored data) Motor interpretation (making internal motor decisions based on both present & past data Movement activitation (executing the movement) Feedback (KR & KP)

The Perceptual-motor Components Body awareness (improves body schema, body image) -Knowledge of the body parts -Knowledge of what they can do -Knowledge of how to make them do it Spatial awareness (moving from egocentric space to external space) -Subjective localization -Objective localization

The Perceptual-motor Components (cont.) Directional Awareness (gives dimension to objects in space) -laterality (internal) -directionality (external) Temporal Awareness (an internal time structure) -synchrony -rhythm -sequence

Perceptual-motor Training (Table 13.4) Readiness training: Concept development (Head Start) Readiness training: Concept reinforcement (academic preschools) Remedial training (for at-risk children) Comparing 3 views of developmental phases & stages (table 13.3) Soft sign assessment (table 13.5)

Concluding Concept Although There Is Insufficient Evidence to Support the Role of Perceptual-motor Training Programs in the Remediation of Learning Disabilities, There Are Other Valid Reasons for These Programs