PsychologicalReports, 1991, 69, 39-42.
O Psychological Reports
1991
BENDER-GESTALT DEVELOPMENTAL SCORES: PREDICTING READING A N D MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT SUE NIELSON Jefferson County Schools Birmingham, Alabama
AND
'
GARY L. SAPP University of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama
Summary.-This study examined the relative importance of perceptual-motor processes and intelligence in predicting reading and mathematics achievement of children of low birthweight. Subjects were two groups of 153 children, ages 6 to 12 years, of either low (3 Ib. or below, n = 72) or normal birthweight (n = 81) who participated in a comparative study on sequelae of children of low birthweight. To examine the utility of the Bender-Gestalt test in predicting academic achwement, Bender developmental scores, WRAT reading and mathematics scores, and WISC-R Full Scale IQs from both groups were compared and then intercorrelated separately. The mean comparisons indicated that children of low birthweight scored significantly lower on both Bender scores and reading achievement and had lower IQs than those of normal birthweight. Bender scores also appeared to have more utility for predicting reading and mathematics achievement for children of low birthweight than for those of normal birthweight.
The critical role of visual perceptual discrimination processes in the development of reading skills is well established. Cruickshank and Hallahan (1975) reported that learning disabled students, compared to normal learners, show poorer selective attention to visual stimuli, greater impulsivity, and poorer performance on visuoperceptual tasks. These outcomes stimulated efforts to remediate reading disabilities which understandably focused on problems of visuoperceptual discrimination and perceptual-motor integration (Kavale, Forness, & Bender, 1987). More recent work (Rourke, 1989), which delineated specific subtypes of learning disabilities, supported the role of visuoperceptual discrimination deficits in problems of reading comprehension. Other studies (Koppitz, 1975; Blaha, Fawaz, & Wallbrown, 1979; Vance, Fuller, & Lester, 1986) have led to identifying perceptual-motor processes as critical predictors of school achievement in reading and mathematics for heterogeneous groups of students. However, the obtained correlations were substantially lower than those found between intellectual factors and school achievement. Earlier, Koppitz (1964) had reported significant relationships between Bender-Gestalt developmental scores and success in reading and arithmetic. Further research by 16 different investigators (Koppitz, 1975) yielded significant correlations between Bender developmental scores and various measures of reading and arithmetic achievement. However, Koppitz' study also pro'Address correspondence to G . L. Sapp, Ed.D., Department of Counseling, Human Services and Foundations, School of Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University Station, Birmingham, AL 35294.
40
S. NIELSON & G. L. SAPP
voked questions regarding the utility of the Bender in predicting reading and mathematics performance as sex, age, and mental ability were identified as important influences in the relationship between Bender developmental scores and academic achievement. The present study examined the relative importance of perceptual-motor abilities and intelligence in predicting reading and mathematics achievement of children of low birthweight. Because these children tend to present a greater range of medical problems than do children of normal birthweight, it was hypothesized that Bender-Gestalt scores would be a more effective predictor of reading and mathematics success for them. Second, it was assumed that Bender scores would not contribute as much to the predictions of reading and mathematics achievement as would IQs.
Subjects Subjects were 153 children ages 6 to 12 years, who participated in a comparative study on sequelae of children of low birthweight (3 Ib. or below). Subjects were 72 children of low birthweight and 8 1 children of normal birthweight who were matched for grade and sex. Children of low birthweight had been followed from birth; controls were selected at the time of the comparative study.
Procedure Each subject was given a battery of tests: the Bender-Gestalt (Bender, 1938), the WISC-R, and the Wide Range Achievement Test (Jastak & Jastak, 1978), reading and arithmetic sections. AU subjects were tested by four graduate students over a 6-mo. period either in a local hospital or in a neuropsychology lab. Standardized procedures were employed in testing, and Bender developmental scores were obtained using Koppitz' (1963) procedures. To provide positive correlations and to facilitate comparison of scores on different tests, the Bender developmental scores were transformed to standard scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. RESULTS To assess whether the means on the WRAT reading and arithmetic subtests, the Bender-Gestalt developmental scores, and WISC-R IQs of the children of low birthweight differed from those of the control group, independent t tests were computed between all pairs of means. Examination of Table 1 indicates that all four of the comparisons were significant, with the control children scoring significantly higher than the children of low birthweight on reading, Bender-Gestalt scores, and WISC-R IQs. Contrary to expectations, the control group scored below the low birthweight group on arithmetic.
BENDER SCORES: PREDICTOR OF READING, ARITHMETIC TABLE 1 MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, A N D f VALUESFORLow BIR~IWEIGHT A N D CONTROL GROUPS (ns= 72 AND 81) Measure
Low Birthweight
WRAT Reading Scores WRAT Arithmetic Scores Bender Developmental Scores WISC-R Full Scale IQs
M
SD
85.8 83.7 69.9 89.1
18.4 16.7 27.5 15.5
Control Group M SD 76.3 75.9 72.2 99.9
19.0 21.7 12.2 15.5
t
3.32* 2.43' 5.06* 4.34*
*p
O Psychological Reports
1991
BENDER-GESTALT DEVELOPMENTAL SCORES: PREDICTING READING A N D MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT SUE NIELSON Jefferson County Schools Birmingham, Alabama
AND
'
GARY L. SAPP University of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama
Summary.-This study examined the relative importance of perceptual-motor processes and intelligence in predicting reading and mathematics achievement of children of low birthweight. Subjects were two groups of 153 children, ages 6 to 12 years, of either low (3 Ib. or below, n = 72) or normal birthweight (n = 81) who participated in a comparative study on sequelae of children of low birthweight. To examine the utility of the Bender-Gestalt test in predicting academic achwement, Bender developmental scores, WRAT reading and mathematics scores, and WISC-R Full Scale IQs from both groups were compared and then intercorrelated separately. The mean comparisons indicated that children of low birthweight scored significantly lower on both Bender scores and reading achievement and had lower IQs than those of normal birthweight. Bender scores also appeared to have more utility for predicting reading and mathematics achievement for children of low birthweight than for those of normal birthweight.
The critical role of visual perceptual discrimination processes in the development of reading skills is well established. Cruickshank and Hallahan (1975) reported that learning disabled students, compared to normal learners, show poorer selective attention to visual stimuli, greater impulsivity, and poorer performance on visuoperceptual tasks. These outcomes stimulated efforts to remediate reading disabilities which understandably focused on problems of visuoperceptual discrimination and perceptual-motor integration (Kavale, Forness, & Bender, 1987). More recent work (Rourke, 1989), which delineated specific subtypes of learning disabilities, supported the role of visuoperceptual discrimination deficits in problems of reading comprehension. Other studies (Koppitz, 1975; Blaha, Fawaz, & Wallbrown, 1979; Vance, Fuller, & Lester, 1986) have led to identifying perceptual-motor processes as critical predictors of school achievement in reading and mathematics for heterogeneous groups of students. However, the obtained correlations were substantially lower than those found between intellectual factors and school achievement. Earlier, Koppitz (1964) had reported significant relationships between Bender-Gestalt developmental scores and success in reading and arithmetic. Further research by 16 different investigators (Koppitz, 1975) yielded significant correlations between Bender developmental scores and various measures of reading and arithmetic achievement. However, Koppitz' study also pro'Address correspondence to G . L. Sapp, Ed.D., Department of Counseling, Human Services and Foundations, School of Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University Station, Birmingham, AL 35294.
40
S. NIELSON & G. L. SAPP
voked questions regarding the utility of the Bender in predicting reading and mathematics performance as sex, age, and mental ability were identified as important influences in the relationship between Bender developmental scores and academic achievement. The present study examined the relative importance of perceptual-motor abilities and intelligence in predicting reading and mathematics achievement of children of low birthweight. Because these children tend to present a greater range of medical problems than do children of normal birthweight, it was hypothesized that Bender-Gestalt scores would be a more effective predictor of reading and mathematics success for them. Second, it was assumed that Bender scores would not contribute as much to the predictions of reading and mathematics achievement as would IQs.
Subjects Subjects were 153 children ages 6 to 12 years, who participated in a comparative study on sequelae of children of low birthweight (3 Ib. or below). Subjects were 72 children of low birthweight and 8 1 children of normal birthweight who were matched for grade and sex. Children of low birthweight had been followed from birth; controls were selected at the time of the comparative study.
Procedure Each subject was given a battery of tests: the Bender-Gestalt (Bender, 1938), the WISC-R, and the Wide Range Achievement Test (Jastak & Jastak, 1978), reading and arithmetic sections. AU subjects were tested by four graduate students over a 6-mo. period either in a local hospital or in a neuropsychology lab. Standardized procedures were employed in testing, and Bender developmental scores were obtained using Koppitz' (1963) procedures. To provide positive correlations and to facilitate comparison of scores on different tests, the Bender developmental scores were transformed to standard scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. RESULTS To assess whether the means on the WRAT reading and arithmetic subtests, the Bender-Gestalt developmental scores, and WISC-R IQs of the children of low birthweight differed from those of the control group, independent t tests were computed between all pairs of means. Examination of Table 1 indicates that all four of the comparisons were significant, with the control children scoring significantly higher than the children of low birthweight on reading, Bender-Gestalt scores, and WISC-R IQs. Contrary to expectations, the control group scored below the low birthweight group on arithmetic.
BENDER SCORES: PREDICTOR OF READING, ARITHMETIC TABLE 1 MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, A N D f VALUESFORLow BIR~IWEIGHT A N D CONTROL GROUPS (ns= 72 AND 81) Measure
Low Birthweight
WRAT Reading Scores WRAT Arithmetic Scores Bender Developmental Scores WISC-R Full Scale IQs
M
SD
85.8 83.7 69.9 89.1
18.4 16.7 27.5 15.5
Control Group M SD 76.3 75.9 72.2 99.9
19.0 21.7 12.2 15.5
t
3.32* 2.43' 5.06* 4.34*
*p
