Motor Learning and Development

Pamela S. Beach, PhD, is a professor of motor behavior and associate dean of academic affairs for the College of Health Sciences and Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She is also a cofounder and codirector of the Institute of Movement Studies for Individuals with Visual Impairments and Deafblindness (IMSVID).

Dr. Beach regularly publishes and presents nationally and internationally. Her research focuses on motor competence, accessible technology, and balance in individuals with and without sensory impairments. She is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has presented at over 150 national and international conferences. She also organizes the biennial International Symposium on Physical Activity and Individuals with Visual Impairments or Deafblindness.

Dr. Beach serves on the executive board of the American Kinesiology Association and the board for the International Motor Development Research Consortium. Previously, she served as the vice president of the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPEID) and chair of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Motor Development and Learning Academy. Dr. Beach was the 2026 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Physical Activity and Recreation Division of the American Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER). Her accolades also include the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching; the Roland Fontaine Award for Faculty-Student Engagement; and the Corinne Kirchner Research Award from the American Foundation for the Blind. She resides in western New York with her husband, three children, and dog.

Melanie E. Perreault, PhD, is a professor of motor behavior in the department of kinesiology, sport studies, and physical education and director of the Honors College at State University of New York at Brockport (SUNY Brockport). She is also a codirector of the Institute of Movement Studies for Individuals with Visual Impairments (IMSVI) and co-organizer of the International Symposium on Physical Activity and Individuals with Visual Impairments or Deafblindness. Dr. Perreault teaches undergraduate courses on motor development and motor learning. She received SUNY Brockport's Honors Mentor Award and Faculty-Student Engagement Award for her work with undergraduate student research.

Dr. Perreault's main area of research focuses on motor development in children with sensory impairments. She has published over 45 peer-reviewed articles, contributed to nine books, and frequently presents at national and international conferences. Dr. Perreault and her research team received the Corinne Kirchner Research Award from the American Foundation for the Blind and the Recognition Award from the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation for their contributions to the field. She has served on the board of the American Kinesiology Association (AKA) and is currently a member at large for the International Motor Development Research Consortium.

Ali Brian, PhD, CAPE, is a professor and associate dean for research in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina, where she directs the Physical and Developmental Disabilities Research Lab. She also serves as research director for the Institute of Movement Studies for Individuals with Visual Impairments and Deafblindness (IMSVID). Dr. Brian is the research consortium chair for the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPEID) and treasurer of the International Motor Development Research Consortium (I-MDRC). She serves as associate editor of Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy and is an editorial board member of the Journal of Motor Learning and Development.

Dr. Brian's research examines motor development, physical activity, and the motor-cognitive connection, with a particular emphasis on individuals with visual impairments and multiple disabilities. Her work investigates how motor competence, physical activity, executive functioning, self-advocacy, and related developmental factors contribute to health-related quality of life, participation, and independence. She also conducts research on early childhood motor development and interventions designed to promote positive developmental trajectories for children with and without disabilities.

Dr. Brian has authored more than 125 peer-reviewed publications and delivered more than 235 national and international scholarly presentations. Her scholarship has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Hollis Fait Scholarly Contribution Award from NCPEID; the G. Lawrence Rarick Research Award from NCPEID; the Distinguished Scholar Award from SHAPE America's Motor Behavior Special Interest Group; and the Corinne Kirchner Research Award from the American Foundation for the Blind.

Part I. Theory and Foundational Concepts
Chapter 1. Perspectives in Motor Behavior
Defining the Fields of Motor Behavior
Motor Control
Motor Learning
Motor Development
Career Paths in Motor Behavior
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 2. Theoretical Constructs in Motor Behavior
Information-Processing Theory
Ecological Approach
Dynamic Systems Approach
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 3. Movement Preparation
Information-Processing Theory
Reaction Time
Attention
Arousal
Memory
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 4. Neural Organization
Foundations of Motor Control and Neurology
Developmental Cascades and Early Motor Learning
Physiological and Neurological Mechanisms in Motor Development
Sensory Contributions to Movement and Balance
Sensory-Motor Integration and Skill Acquisition in Childhood
Disruptions in Neuronal Signaling and Motor Impairments
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 5. Skill Classification
Skill Classification
Skill Versus Ability
Summary
Learning Aids

Part II. Life Span Physical Activity and Movement
Chapter 6. Infant Motor Development
Prenatal Development
Sensory Capabilities
Early Movements
Infants at Risk
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 7. Locomotor Skills in Childhood
Fundamental Motor Skills
Locomotor Skills
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 8. Object Control Skills in Childhood
Development of Object Control Skills
Breakdown of Object Control Skills
Importance of Understanding Object Control Skills
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 9. Movement in Adulthood
Aging
Physical Activity
Self-Regulation in Physical Activity
Peak Athletic Performance
Movement Patterns
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 10. Motor Development Assessment and Program Design
Motor Performance Versus Development
Categories of Assessment
From Gross Motor to Fine Motor Assessment, Generospecific Principle
Longitudinal Screening
Program Design, Task Analysis, and Nonlinear Pedagogy
Gold Standards Versus Variability
Ecological Task Analysis
Summary
Learning Aids

Part III. Individual and Environmental Constraints
Chapter 11. Physical Development
Nature and Nurture
Physical Growth and Maturation
Body System Constraints
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 12. Physical Aging
Skeletal System
Muscular System
Aerobic Capacity
Cardiovascular System
Nervous System
Endocrine System
Body Composition
Sensory System
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 13. Knowledge and Cognitive Constraints
Knowledge Constraints
Cognitive Constraints
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 14. Psychosocial and Affective Constraints
Psychosocial Constraints
Affective Constraints
Self-Regulation
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 15. Sociocultural Constraints
Gender
Race
Community and Culture
Disability
Aging
Summary
Learning Aids

Part IV. Designing Developmentally Appropriate Programs
Chapter 16. Stages of Skill Acquisition
Motor Learning Stages
Link to Dynamic Systems Approach
Practical Use of the Learning Models
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 17. Motor Learning Assessment
Indicators of Motor Skill Learning
Performance and Learning Tests
Games Classification for Promoting Transfer
Promoting Positive Transfer for Any Motor Skill
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 18. Developmental Models for Instruction
Motor Development Models
Sport Development Models
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 19. Prepractice Considerations
Goal Setting
Demonstrations
Verbal Instruction
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 20. Practice
Variable Practice
Contextual Interference Effect
Practice Specificity
Part and Whole Practice
Distribution of Practice
Mental Practice and Imagery
Summary
Learning Aids

Chapter 21. Feedback
Types and Modalities of Feedback
Functions of Feedback
Providing Effective Feedback
Summary
Learning Aids