ABSTRACT
I am not now referring only to psychomotor skills in relation to those under the rubric of ‘physical education’ or similar terms. Competence in certain psychomotor skills has an important influence on all children’s learning, including concept learning. This is because certain basic skills are prerequisite to learning in many subjects of the curriculum. This is, perhaps, particularly the case in the learning of younger children. The key subjects of reading and writing present very young learners with problems of psychomotor learning in addition to the very considerable problems of conceptual learning. Older pupils may have problems with handling apparatus in scientific experiments or in using simple equipment in geography. It is not unknown for teachers to demonstrate experiments themselves because of their fear that pupils might damage expensive equipment.
