The effect of a reflex replication program on retained primary reflexes, motor coordination, vocabulary, visual motor ability and rapid naming in preprimary aged children

The link between movement and cognition is not new, but remains steeped in controversy in the educational community. One of the reasons for this controversy has been the lack of substantial research that supports the link between movement programs and observable academic benefits. The results of recent research have indicated that the retention of primary reflexes, particularly the tonic neck reflexes in young children, can result in difficulties that affect the overall functioning of the child. The retainment of reflexes may lead to clumsiness, poor eye hand coordination, poor manipulative skills and consequently academic achievement may be compromised in some children (Sugden & Wright, 1998). This research is about determining the efficacy of Primary Movement program, a reflex replication program designed to reduce the effect of these inappropriately retained reflexes (McPhillips, Hepper & Mulhern, 2000). The research began by investigating the prevalence of retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), the cause of significant motor difficulties, in a sample of approximately 200 preprimary children in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia using the Schilder Neurological Test which is one of the standard neurological tests to determine the presence of this reflex (McPhillips, Hepper, & Mulhern, 2000; Morrison, 1985). EJaseline data was also established for all children in the following areas: motor skills (using Movement ABC Assessment Battery for Children (Henderson & Sugden, 1992); language skills (using Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Dunn & Dunn, 1997); and visual motor integration (using the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (Beery, 1989). Following the gathering of this data, an intervention based on the Primary Movement program was then conducted. The effect of the Primary Movement intervention was· compared on the above variables, to the results of a gross motor intervention and a free play intervention (control). As such this thesis investigates the efficacy of the Primary Movement program as an early intervention tool for preschool children in Australia displaying retained reflexes and associated issues such as motor difficulties, is evaluated

The First Year at University: Giving Social Capital a Sporting Chance

The first year of university has been identified as an area of interest and concern for several decades because, for many students, their first year at university is also their last. The researchers developed a program based on a Sports Education model to influence the engagement and retention of first year students. The program sought to build social capital by providing opportunities for students to connect with their peers and establish supportive social and collegial networks at university. The data highlighted a number of interesting outcomes for both the first year students and mentors. First year students reported that the program made them feel welcome on campus and helped them establish support networks. The mentors commented on the benefits of their involvement in the program. The outcomes of this project have provided clear directions for future approaches to support first year students

The synergistic effect of teaching a combined explicit movement and phonological awareness program to preschool aged students

While movement is critical to young children\u27s development, there is an ongoing debate about the time devoted to teaching movement in early childhood classrooms. Nevertheless, research has established a link between specific precursor motor skills and early literacy development. This study investigated the synergistic effect of practising specific movements through daily actions and songs alongside the explicit teaching of phonological awareness and phonics in 400 preschool children (aged between four and five). Results indicate that students who received the combined intervention of explicit phonological awareness and movement were the only group to perform significantly better than the control group on measures of phonological awareness, invented spelling and spelling. An interesting outcome was that the literacy/movement group and not the movement group made significantly larger gains for the movement measure. These findings suggest that teaching pre-primary aged children early literacy and movement in tandem is more beneficial than teaching either in isolation

Health and physical education: preparing educators for the future, 2nd ed.

Publisher description: Health and physical education encompasses the development of movement competence and health literacies crucial to child and adolescent health and wellbeing. Health and Physical Education: Preparing Educators for the Future, 2nd edition continues to offer a comprehensive overview of the knowledge, understanding, skills and theoretical underpinnings required to teach health and physical education in Australian schools. This edition outlines the latest developments to the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, to help pre-service teacher educators understand the application of these concepts in practice. Maintaining a focus on the education of all learning ages, it provides a stronger focus on physical education and development in early childhood, and broader coverage of the perspectives of culturally diverse students. Well-structured and engaging, this edition has been updated to include the latest literature, figures, statistics and resources. Learning is enhanced through further reading, end-of-chapter questions, case studies and an updated and comprehensive companion website

Health and physical education: preparing educators for the future

This ambitious text is grounded in the most recent and relevant scholarly research and recommended pedagogy in the Health and Physical Education field. The research complements the authors' long experience in preparing pre-service teachers to work in health and physical education. It considers the role of health and physical education within the wider educational experience and provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical underpinnings and skills required to meet the educational needs of a diverse student population. An enduring theme of the book is a concern for social justice and the health and wellbeing of the whole child in all dimesions of health. For Callcott, Miller and Wilson-Gahan this is no mere theoretical position or politically correct posture. It is instead a genuine desire to facilitate the preparation of teachers who can provide for the education of all children, not merely the motorically competent, surely one of physical education's perennial shortcomings. In publically funded systems of education, all children have a right to become the best they can be in a given curriculum area. This book takes a strongly principled though practical approach to this issue. The result is a textbook written both for the practical immediacies of the present and for the uncertainties of the future

Network teach : How a student led organisation supports the transition to university

The transition to university and the first-year experience, which is crucial to student success, provides many personal, social and academic challenges for students. Over several decades, universities across Australia have implemented strategies to improve the attrition rate of first year students. This paper evaluates a program designed to meet the specific needs of students in the School of Education at a university in Perth, Western Australia. The Network Teach program is unique in that it is a student-run organisation offering social networking and academic support to all. This paper examines factors that may affect students in their first year of university studies, looks at the types of events the organisation offers and evaluates the overall benefits of Network Teach. The research identifies the support initiated by the students and the emergence of new cultural capital formed through the development of relationships that results in the reinvention of new identities as university students

The First Year At University: Giving Social Capital a Sporting Chance

The first year of university has been identified as an area of interest and concern for several decades because, for many students, their first year at university is also their last. The researchers developed a program based on a Sports Education model to influence the engagement and retention of first year students. The program sought to build social capital by providing opportunities for students to connect with their peers and establish supportive social and collegial networks at university. The data highlighted a number of interesting outcomes for both the first year students and mentors. First year students reported that the program made them feel welcome on campus and helped them establish support networks. The mentors commented on the benefits of their involvement in the program. The outcomes of this project have provided clear directions for future approaches to support first year students