Children Who Desperately Want To Read, But Are Not Working at Grade Level: Use Movement Patterns as 'Windows' To Discover Why.

A qualitative longitudinal study, first of four parts, compared developmental movement levels and academic learning levels in young children. Subjects were 28 children of various ages who were not working up to grade level but who did not qualify for learning disability services. Parents completed a detailed demographic survey and a neurological organization evaluation form. Children were videotaped at 6-month intervals over 5 years as they performed locomotor, manipulative, and nonlocomotor skills. Results indicated a parallel between the difficulty in mastering locomotor, manipulative, and nonlocomotor movements, academic learning at grade level, and demographic data. Academic classroom teachers should notice whether children are "toe-walkers"; walk up stairs one step at a time; can hop on one foot and change to the other foot with good balance; can walk forward, backward, and sideward; can crawl up on their hands and knees for a distance; and jump sidewards with two feet together over a rope lying on the floor. Teachers can use a variety of activities that get children moving and have fun. Teachers can also help children develop manipulative skills that involve developmental hand dominance processes and developmental eye dominance processes as well as exercising the brain and nervous system throughout the day. Further research needs to examine the development of these children's nervous systems. (Contains 21 references and a synopsis of the other 3 parts of the study.) (RS)