Study Unit 3: Part 10 (HMSC 112) Signs of Perceptual-Motor Deficiencies Observed by Teachers

Signs of Perceptual-Motor Deficiencies Observed by Teachers

Initial Indicators

• Lack of Co-ordination in Motor Skills: Students may display difficulty in performing tasks that require hand-eye coordination, such as catching a ball or threading a needle, which can impact their participation in physical education and daily activities.

• Clumsiness in Daily Activities: Frequent stumbling, dropping objects, or bumping into things may indicate poor coordination, suggesting a need for additional support in developing gross motor skills.

• Difficulty in Colouring Large Symbols: Children struggling to stay within the lines while colouring may exhibit fine motor issues, revealing challenges in their dexterity and control of writing tools.

• Difficulty in Matching Symbols and Shapes: Problems recognizing or correlating different shapes and symbols can hinder a child’s ability to engage in early math or literacy activities, emphasizing the need for targeted intervention.

• Constant Inattentiveness: A student who appears frequently distracted or unable to concentrate on tasks may be exhibiting signs of perceptual-motor deficiencies that require careful observation and appropriate strategies.

• Consistent Short Attention Span: Problems maintaining attention on a single activity for longer than a few minutes may limit learning opportunities and interfere with classroom engagement.

• Inability to Recognize and Interpret Symbols Correctly: Issues with correctly identifying symbols such as letters, numbers, or punctuation can greatly affect literacy development and academic performance.

• Inability to Interpret Pictures Correctly: Difficulty in understanding visuals or deriving meaning from images may lead to challenges in comprehension and communication.

• Difficulty with Letter and Number Sequences: Struggles in recognizing or recalling the correct order of letters and numbers can impact early literacy and numeracy skills, affecting future learning.

• Inability to Reproduce Letters, Numbers, and Symbols Correctly: Students who have trouble writing or replicating written characters accurately may struggle with written expression, necessitating intervention.

Further Signs of Deficiencies

• Difficulty in Form and Depth Perception: Challenges in understanding spatial relationships and distances can affect a child's ability to navigate environments safely and participate in activities requiring spatial judgment.

• Difficulty in Interpreting Lateral Directions: Trouble distinguishing left from right can impact various daily tasks and learning activities, reinforcing the need for targeted teaching strategies.

• Short Retention Duration: Quick forgetfulness of learned information may indicate memory retention issues, affecting the acquisition of new skills and knowledge.

• Lack of Consistent Dominance: An unstable hand preference may affect writing and other hand-related tasks, complicating learning processes.

• Poor Self-Concept: A low self-esteem stemming from difficulties in physical tasks can negatively influence children's willingness to participate in class and social activities.

• Lack of Desire for Participation in Games: Avoiding physical play may result from fear of failure or embarrassment, highlighting the importance of a supportive environment.

• Poor Performance in Movement and Dance Activities: Struggles with rhythm, coordination, and following movement patterns can affect overall confidence and engagement in physical education.

• Inability to Name Body Parts: Trouble identifying or naming different parts of their own body can interfere with communication and understanding of health-related concepts.

Teaching Suggestions

Strategies for Support

• Encourage Verbalization of Attributes: Prompting the child to describe the colour, shape, or size of objects can enhance their understanding and improve vocabulary skills.

• Repetition for Reinforcement: To solidify concepts, repeat tasks multiple times before introducing variations in size, shape, or colour, ensuring foundational understanding is established.

• Avoid Combining Different Attributes Initially: Focus on teaching each attribute (colour, shape, numbers) separately until mastery is achieved to prevent confusion and enhance learning efficacy.