Relationship between visual-motor integration and spatial organization of written language and math.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between visual-motor integration and academic achievement is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to assess the type and frequency of errors made by children with poor visual-motor integration during a written language and math task.


METHODS
Eighteen children with normal visual-motor integration (> or =36%) and 19 children with low visual-motor integration (< or =16%) participated in the study. The two groups had similar ages, gender profiles, and cognitive and reading levels. Each group copied and solved math problems and copied a written passage. The errors for the math and writing task were combined into a total error score, and the time taken to complete each task was combined into a total time score.


RESULTS
The low visual-motor integration group made more errors than the normal visual-motor integration group. However, the time taken to copy both tasks was not different between the two groups. A secondary analysis of the errors revealed that alignment of numbers (p = 0.02), organization of math problems (p = 0.05), and spacing errors of letters and words (p = 0.01) were more common in the low visual-motor integration group.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that reduced visual-motor integration may contribute to poor spatial organization of written work.
Barnhardt
Carmen
C
Southern California College of Optometry, 2575 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA. cbardhardt@scco.edo
Borsting
Eric
E
Deland
Paul
P
Pham
Nicole
N
Vu
Tina
T
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009048:Motor Skills; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013028:Space Perception