Effects of Perceptual-Motor Activity on Intellectual Ability of Pre-School Children

Abstract

Whether perceptual motor program could enhance the intellectual development of children or not was examined. In the first experiment, five-year-old children participating in the motor program which involved balancing, co-ordination and locomotion were compared with the control group. The motor program - carried out for 40 min. per a session, 3 sessions per a week, during 4 weeks - had no effect on the post-test scores of intelligence and personality tests. In the second experiment, four-year-old children being taught right-left discrimination through motor activities were compared with the children taught by ordinaly in-door method and with the control group. The motor program-carried out for 40-60min. per a session, 2 sessions per a week, during 3 weeks -improved significantly in the right-left discrimination test as well as the children who took the ordinary in-door program.