PMID- 10213445
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19990616
LR  - 20190909
IS  - 1040-5488 (Print)
IS  - 1040-5488 (Linking)
VI  - 76
IP  - 3
DP  - 1999 Mar
TI  - Relationship between visual motor integration skill and academic performance in 
      kindergarten through third grade.
PG  - 159-63
AB  - PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between 
      visual motor integration skill and academic performance in kindergarten through 
      third grade. METHODS: One hundred ninety-one (N = 191) children in kindergarten 
      through third grade (mean age = 7.78 years; 52% male) from an upper-middle class, 
      suburban, primarily Caucasian, elementary school near Cleveland, Ohio were 
      included in this investigation. Visual analysis and visual motor integration 
      skill were assessed with the Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration 
      (VMI) long form because it is a commonly used test in both optometric and 
      educational practice and has a detailed scoring system. The relationship between 
      performance on the VMI and teachers' ratings of academic achievement was analyzed 
      because teachers' grades are a primary means of assessing school performance. The 
      children's regular classroom teachers rated the children with respect to reading, 
      math, and writing ability. Second and third grade children (N = 98) were also 
      rated on spelling ability. Only experienced teachers were included in the 
      investigation and the validity of the teachers' ratings was substantiated by 
      significant correlations with standardized test scores. Teachers were masked to 
      performance on the VMI until the rating was completed. The Stanford Diagnostic 
      Reading test, 4th edition, was also used as a measure of reading ability in the 
      first graders and the Otis-Lennon School Ability test (OLSAT), 6th edition, was 
      also used as a measure of school-related cognitive ability in the second graders. 
      RESULTS: Performance on the VMI was found to be significantly related to 
      teachers' ratings of the children's reading (p = 0.0001), math (p = 0.0001), 
      writing (p = 0.0001) and spelling (p = 0.0118) ability. An analysis by age group 
      revealed that performance on the VMI was significantly correlated with reading 
      achievement ratings in the 7- and 8- year-olds (p<0.001 and p = 0.002, 
      respectively), with math and writing achievement ratings in the 7-, 8-, and 
      9-year-olds (math: p<0.001, p = 0.004, and p = 0.003, respectively; writing: 
      p<0.001, p = 0.008, and p = 0.016, respectively), and with spelling achievement 
      ratings in the 8- and 9-year-olds (p = 0.040 and p = 0.007, respectively). VMI 
      scores were also significantly related to performance on the Stanford Reading 
      test in the first graders (p = 0.003) and to performance on the OLSAT in the 
      second graders (verbal score: p = 0.005, nonverbal score: p = 0.002, and total 
      score: p<0.001). In order to partially control for mathematical ability, an 
      additional analysis was performed with children who were identified by the OLSAT 
      as having either below average, average, or above average verbal reasoning scores 
      ability (the verbal reasoning score consists of aural and arithmetic reasoning). 
      This analysis again revealed a significant correlation between the VMI and 
      teachers' achievement ratings in math (p = 0.007 among second grade students with 
      average ability). Finally, in order to partially control for cognitive ability 
      related to writing, an additional analysis was performed with children who were 
      identified by the OLSAT as having either below average, average, or above average 
      nonverbal cluster OLSAT scores. (The nonverbal cluster consists of pictorial and 
      figural reasoning.) This analysis again revealed a significant correlation 
      between the VMI and teachers' achievement ratings in writing (p = 0.001 among 
      average second grade students). CONCLUSION: Performance on a visual analysis and 
      visual motor integration task is significantly related to academic performance in 
      7-, 8- and 9-year-olds.
FAU - Taylor Kulp, M
AU  - Taylor Kulp M
AD  - The Ohio State University, College of Optometry, Columbus 43210, USA.
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - Optom Vis Sci
JT  - Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of 
      Optometry
JID - 8904931
SB  - IM
MH  - Child
MH  - Child Development/*physiology
MH  - Child, Preschool
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Learning/*physiology
MH  - Male
MH  - Predictive Value of Tests
MH  - Psychomotor Performance/*physiology
MH  - Visual Perception/*physiology
EDAT- 1999/04/23 00:00
MHDA- 1999/04/23 00:01
CRDT- 1999/04/23 00:00
PHST- 1999/04/23 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1999/04/23 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1999/04/23 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1097/00006324-199903000-00015 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Optom Vis Sci. 1999 Mar;76(3):159-63. doi: 10.1097/00006324-199903000-00015.