Preservice students do not always see the relationship between the theories they learn in motor development class and the practical applications of those theories in the gymnasium. This article begins to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Within the theoretical viewpoint known as the ecological perspective, the authors identify the…

This study aimed at supporting the specificity of learning hypothesis, when aiming was based on internal cues, as directing the hand toward a "self-defined" target location. Participants practiced modest (20 trials) or intensive (720 trials) training with visual and proprioceptive information or proprioceptive information only. Pretests and…

This paper is in memory of Esther Thelen, who passed away while President of the Society for Research in Child Development. A survey of Esther Thelen's career reveals a trajectory from early work on simple movements like stepping, to the study of goal-directed reaching, to work on the embodiment of cognition, and, ultimately, to a grand theory of…

While motor dominance appears to drive limb selection for reaching movements at the midline and ipsilateral (dominant) side, this study examined the possible determinants associated with what drives the programming of movements in response to stimuli presented in contralateral space. Experiment 1 distinguished between object proximity and a…

Self-regulation and self-determination are part of a continuum of behaviors that are acquired through interaction with the social and physical environment and through problem solving based on experiences that begin in infancy and build throughout early childhood. These abilities should be nurtured early for all children, especially within the…

This study examined young children's hand usage when they produced American Sign Language signs and while they played, in order to determine their hand preference in early signing and to compare their hand use in signing with their hand preference in other, nonlinguistic, motor actions. Subjects were 24 young children (from the age of 12 months or…

The brochure offers guidelines on the everyday care and handling of infants with low muscle tone, in order that positioning, carrying, and other daily activities can be done in ways that will enhance the development of the child and prevent abnormal postures and patterns of movement. Proper positioning in the prone, supine, side lying, and sitting…

This textbook provides a scientific basis for the study of human motion. The eight chapters are organized under three major sections. Part One--The Force-Motion Relationship--contains chapters on (1) motion; (2) force; (3) types of movement analysis. In Part Two--The Simple Joint System--chapters concern (4) simple joint system components; (5)…

Longitudinal studies of mother-child interactions for the third trimester of pregnancy to age 4 are described. The effort is aimed at analyzing early childhood data to determine stability of mother-infant interaction, correlations among mothers' character as defined by adaptive and maladaptive defenses, major conflicts, sense of reality, and…

The manual describes procedures involved in administering and scoring a neurodevelopmental examination of children from birth to 2 years of age. The test is designed to be easily incorporated into routine health programs. The instrument is easily learned, quickly administered, objectively based, and capable of producing early evidence of…

Intended for friends and families of children with disabilities, the book contains information and suggestions on play activities, toys, and games for children (0-8) with mild and moderate disabilities. Activities are sequenced from simpler to more developmentally advanced within six major categories (1) exploring the senses (hid and find,…

The study explored behavioral procedures for developing the skill of standing from a chair for a severely mentally retarded 11-year-old nonambulatory girl and an 86-year-old man residing in a nursing home for the elderly. Functional assessment and programing determined the specific instructional needs of each S. A changing criterion design was…

The use of trampoline activities with multiple handicapped students is discussed. Management considerations in safety are noted, and developmental trampoline skills are listed beginning with bouncing for stimulation. Progression to limited independence and finally independent jumping is described. The position statement of the American Alliance…

A combination of physical fitness tests designed to be administered to a wide spectrum of the population, male and female, children and adults, is described. Three tests are included in this battery--motor fitness, physical fitness, and sports fitness. The philosophy behind this test structure is that motor fitness tests only measure and indicate…