‘ .‘_1'[-?w :E'TfiL: “"1— '7 'l'" t. H. ' f‘,’ .- ' V a ' " - ' ' ' Iii 3:13. L3 L“ Evita v" '-. mu: fiat? t ‘u ‘.. in..- a {\fih‘ezmu .‘.~ E'EUVBJ "sg- .‘N'f: ‘F‘Eftf‘ 3E3: ET? QW§Wfipa :4". II “I 7:..2‘.‘ -.'.: , ”On-ups: 1 $ 0-1-10 6““ :hmisss'sédvaza‘." w " 3! N ‘\ “9" 1 ‘ It: , ' k?“ :1“ x; x ‘1‘“; . ‘ . .p. .. ’r , _.‘ LL ‘1 L‘.§£\.5J:Lhkg’ & K...» I. Lib‘lnfl . h h“” L 4 W r‘..o ”-0 ". o o . I'“Cr-. :v ‘$-.1o ’ .. u - ~- radon; rcya a.“ P n ' f : n o o .‘0.‘-’—IG\.‘--d~ “'90-..-“ \J'--~-r—:‘¢‘ ‘6‘“ -‘ >_. . -— -94.- - . . Qr“!‘. ‘ ‘0’ .9 - = l_. 1 '\ kgofluobb\fi‘a L..M;..“:.A WU..—'§-8 ...‘.V A‘r‘“~=r ' h-."~:,"3. ‘ ‘4 ,c #3- ~ . e l ‘ t. I u, f‘ lHlUNIHIIIIHIIIIHNIIIIHHIIINJHIWIHIHHIIIIllll 293 01692 0104 h fl,“ . 3 ”Tr-Hr @L}§gqv3fls I If it? ‘ THE EFF STAND Whether ‘ in impro tarded c the musi tiVe the imPrOVir FOrest C Volved : Vided i1 aSSiQUEC control Standinc DIUIY. With tra ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF TWO POSTURAL TRAINING PRQERAMS ON THE STANDING POSTURE OF TRAINABLE RETARDED CHILDREN BY Julianne Hyland O'Shea The purpose of this study was to discover whether two postural training programs were effective in improving the standing posture of trainable re- tarded children. Of particular interest was whether the music activity training program was more effec— tive than the nonmusic activity training program in improving standing posture. Twenty-two trainable retarded students from Forest Grove School in Fenwick, Michigan were in— volved in the study. The students were randomly di- vided into two groups. Eleven subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental group and eleven to the control group. All subjects were trained in correct standing posture according to the ideas of Fenton and Drury. The training program lasted for four weeks, with training on three successive days each week. Measurements were taken on the amount of improvement . I 1n post: posttes: statist; (—1 findings 1. rn to be mc imprOVen eVer, t} State" c The mqu enjOYabl mUch m0: Julianne Hyland O'Shea in posture as measured on all subjects— pre- and posttest scores and the results compared by computer statistical analyses. Certain conclusions were drawn based on the findings of this study: 1. The two postural training programs employed in this study, nonmusic exercises/activities and music exercises/activities, did not sig- nificantly improve standing posture in se- lected trainable retarded students. 2. The use of music exercises/activities in pos- tural training was not found to be more effec- tive than the use of nonmusic exercises/ activities in postural training. Statistically, music activities were not found to be more effective than nonmusic activities in the improvement of the students' standing posture. How- ever, there was a distinct difference in the "feeling state" of the two groups during the training sessions. The music activities seemed to make exercising more enjoyable for the music group and this group responded much more positively to the training sessions. Future researchers would be well advised to study standing posture tural re use stil tural ra Areas of SUCh p05 deveIOpi. able men Julianne Hyland O'Shea posture over a longer period, design an indepth pos- tural rating program for training the adjudicators, use still photographs instead of video-tapes for pos— tural rating and to use a larger sample in the study. Areas of similar research would include examining such postures as sitting, walking and working, and deve10ping postural norms for the population of train- able mentally retarded students. THE EFF; STAND: THE EFFECTS OF TWO POSTURAL TRAINING PROGRAMS ON THE STANDING POSTURE OF TRAINABLE RETARDED CHILDREN BY Julianne Hyland O'Shea A.THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF MUSIC Department of Music 1976 t0 Profe Dr. Robe ins and Gary wel the StUd and Stud ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author expresses her sincere appreciation to Professor Robert Unkefer, Dr. Dale Bartlett, and Dr. Robert Sidnell for their guidance, critical read- ing and encouragement in the completion of this study. The author expresses her gratitude to Mrs. Gary Wells for her help in designing and setting up the study, and to Mrs. Clarice Cummings, the staff and students of Forest Grove School. ii AQQWWLE LIST OF Chapter I. II. III, TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii LISTOFTABLES................. V Chapter I. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . 5 Hypotheses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Need for the Study . . . . . . . . . . 7 Definitions of Terms . . . . . . . . . 8 Scope and Limitations of the Study . . 13 II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . . 16 Value of Postural Training . . . . . . l6 Ideal Standing Posture . . . . . . . . 20 Components of Classroom Posture Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Use of Music as an Aid in Learning New Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 III. DESIGN OF THE STUDY. . . . . . . . . . . 32 Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Subjects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 setting-00.000.000.00.- 34 Data Gathering Procedures. . . . . . . 35 Independent Variables. . . . . . . . . 39 Dependent Variable . . . . . . . . . . 46 Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Handling of Missing Data . . . . . . . 50 Statistical Procedures . . . . . . . . 50 iii Chapter IV. BIBLImR APPENDIC Chapter IV. PRESENTATION OF RESUDTS. . . . . . . . . Data Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reliability of the Testing Method. . . Comparison of Groups at the Pretest. . Comparison of the Groups Over the Training Period. . . . . . . . . . . Review of Hypotheses . . . . . . . . . Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suggestions for Further Research . . . BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDICES A. RAW DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B . POST URAL EVALUAT ION . . . . . . . . . . . Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Postural Rating. . . . . . . . . . . . Score Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. POSTURAL TRAINING PROGRAM. . . . . . . . Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Order of Activities. . . . . . . . . . Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D. ADJUDICATOR TRAINING PROGRAM . . . . . . iv Page 53 56 57 57 57 59 60 61 63 65 65 7O 71 77 82 83 84 93 95 96 97 100 131 Table 10. 11. Se N1 Ct M4 Table 10. 11. LIST OF TABLES Sex, Age, General Level of Functioning and Length of Time in Forest Grove School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of Subjects in Each Age Group for Control and Experimental Groups. . . . . Composition of Control and Experimental Groups According to Sex. . . . . . . . . Number of Subjects in Each Level of Functioning for Control and Experi— mental Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of Years Enrolled in Forest Grove School Per Subject Per Group . . . . . . Composition of Control and Experimental Groups in the Postural Training Program. Absences for Each Subject During the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mean and Standard Deviation Scores on Pretest, Posttest and Change Scores for Control and Experimental Groups. . . . . Hoyt Reliability Analysis of Variance. . . t—Test Analysis of Differences Between Control and Experimental Groups at the Pretest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An Analysis of Variance of the Posttest by Group with the Pretest as Covariate . V Page 37 4O 41 42 43 45 51 55 58 59 6O CHAPTER I PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Introduction According to Morgan (1964, 6), "some people have a highly individual and clearly recognizable man- ner of moving and standing." This seems to be especi- ally true of retarded persons. After working as a music therapist with severely retarded children, this researcher has determined that poise is a deficit area for most of the children. Poise, as defined by ‘Webster (1963, 654) is a "self-possessed composure, assurance, and dignity; a particular way of carrying oneself." One of the most important aspects of poise is posture (the relative arrangement of the parts of the body). Posture, being so important to poise, has been determined to be a good starting point for de- veloping poise. It is the purpose of this study (1) to determine whether the children of Forest Grove School can improve their posture by participating in a series of specially designed postural training ac- tivities and (2) to determine if the use of music is effe (flogYI‘ physiol< ently h, a loss c POSture. remediat (1972, 2 S stru rect ince Surg SECu The imPr not be 11 A image Of is effective as an aid in teaching posture. A child's posture is determined by his physi- ology, his self-image, and his training. A child's physiology, or body make-up, determines how effici— ently his body functions. Structural problems cause a loss of body efficiency and often result in poor posture. Structural problems, however, cannot be remediated by untrained persons. Beter and Cragin (1972, 29) state: Structural conditions exist when the honey structure has been changed or affected. Cor- rection for structural conditions is the prov- ince of the physician, who may resort to surgery or casting, or, both, in an effort to secure desired improvement. The improvement of structural conditions, then, will not be undertaken in this postural training program. A child's posture is also influenced by his image of himself. How a child sees himself often shows in how he carries his body. Beter and Cragin (1972, 23) state that "at rest or in motion, a person often reveals the image he has of himself and expresses the attitude with which he faces certain situations of living." As Kelley (1949, 5) explains: The way a person carries himself makes an important impression. From his carriage or posl his Exp. liv res; turn opp< and With CC: Present CreaSed POSture mechanic Beter an if a giv museular Cal of t not had . posture, people draw certain conclusions about his health, his vitality and his personality. Experience teaches us to expect enthusiasm for living, initiative, self—confidence and self— respect from a person with an easily erect pos- ture. Most poor postures suggest just the opposite--dejection, apathy, lack of confidence and fatigue. ‘With correct postural training a child can learn to gpresent himself more positively to society, with in— <:reased self-confidence and self—respect. Another important factor determining a child's loosture is his past training in posture and body Inechanics. Posture is largely a matter of habit. IBeter and Cragin (1972, 23) explain that "good or bad, if a given posture is assumed often enough, a neuro- nnuscular response is established which becomes typi— czal of that person." Most children, these days, have riot had an organized training program in posture and loody mechanics. Although many of them have grown up vvith the command to "stand up straight" or "throw :{our shoulders back," they have not been involved in ‘a specific program of postural training. As a result Inany children have developed poor postural habits. Poor posture is detrimental to both physical appearance and body functioning. Retarded children are of' "slouc very i: his ac. is, th. tarded States condit; Good pc for a r ture is good p0 1n Corr are often characterized by their "awkward gait" and "slouched" appearance. The appearance of a child is very important to his acceptance by society, and to his acceptance of himself. Improvement of appearance is, then, an area which requires emphasis in the re- tarded child's overall educational program. As Weber states (1963, 104), "the way any child looks and acts conditions how he is accepted by people in general." Good posture enhances appearance and makes it easier for a retarded person to fit into society. Good pos— ture is also important to good health. A body in good posture functions better because it is maintained in correct alignment (Kasch, 19). A postural training program would benefit re— tarded children by helping them to improve their physi- cal appearance and body efficiency thus leading to benefits of increased social acceptance, self—confidence and improved health. Posture training is the responsi— bility of both the parents and the trained staff work- ing with the child. In the school setting, posture training is the responsibility of the classroom teacher and all other staff with whom he comes in contact. As a staff member, then, it is the responsibility of the music t use of s ing cor: ferred 1 352) exg determir is funct “59d. wi tarded c the forx music therapist to work on postural improvement. The use of music activities could be effective in teach— ing correct posture. Music used in such a way is re- ferred to as "functional" music. As Cardinell (1948, 352) explains, "music which accomplishes specific pre- determined ends other than entertainment or pleasure is functional music." In this study music therapy activities are used, within a school setting, in a program designed to improve the standing posture of some mentally re- tarded children. Statement of the Problem The problem of this study can be expressed in the form of two questions: 1. Will the standing posture of selected retarded students be significantly improved with par- ticipation in a postural training program? 2. Will the program of music activities be more effective than the program of nonmusic activi- ties in improving the standing posture of selected retarded students? Hypotheses There is presently no scientifically based re— search that gives concrete evidence that the use of music aids in postural training. It is the objective of this study to provide such evidence. More specifically, this study will test the following hypotheses: 1. There is improvement in the standing posture of selected trainable retarded students with the use of nonmusic activities in a short- term program. 2. There is improvement in the standing posture of selected trainable retarded students with the use of music activities in a short—term program. 3. There is a significant difference between the use of music and nonmusic activities in the improvement of standing posture in selected trainable retarded students. SC! in th be Need For the Study It was agreed by both the staff at Forest Grove School and this experimenter, that the students at the school needed training in posture and body mechanics in addition to the self—help skills being taught in the classrooms. A postural training program would benefit the students in two ways: 1. Improvement of physical appearance With improved posture the children would ap- pear more poised, would seem less awkward, and would be physically more acceptable to society. 2. Improvement of health Poor posture leads to aches and fatigue and results in an uneconomic use of the body. With better posture the children would feel better and have more energy. No postural training program has been offered at Forest Grove School in the fourteen years of its existence. It is the responsibility of all of the staff, including the music therapist, to work with the children in problem areas in their total life experi- ence. Music has been a very positive experience for the children of Forest Grove School. It, therefore, could be a feasible means of helping to teach good posture habits to the children. If music is found to be of benefit in posture training in this setting, other programs could be developed by music therapists to teach posture to exceptional children and adults. Definition of Terms Forest Grove School.--A public school in Fen- wick, Michigan which serves the needs of sixty—five trainable retarded youth from Montcalm and Iona coun- ties. Level of Functioning (Adaptive Behavior).——A subjective measure determined by the faculty of Forest Grove School to describe a child's performance level in the classroom. Children described as functioning at a high level can be considered to be borderline educable, have academic skills up to a third grade level, and can function independently in the classroom. Children described as functioning at a medium level can be considered to be trainable retarded, can learn letters and do some printing and can function semi- independently in the classroom. Children described as functioning at a low level can be considered to be severely mentally impaired, can be taught self— care skills and some language and are able to function somewhat independently in the classroom. Postural Defects.--Five postural defect areas have been found to be of almost universal occurrence (Richardson, 90). They are as follows: 1. Flat feet 2. Tight posterior muscles 3. weak abdominal muscles 4. Exaggerated lumbar curve 5. Winged scapulae These five defect areas have served as the basis for the development of exercises used in the Postural Training Program. Postural Rating.—-An instrument developed by the experimenter from research in the area of the "ideal" standing posture. It is used to evaluate the standing posture of the twenty-two subjects in the study. This examination was carried out both pre- and posttest by five adjudicators for each of the subjects. The exam— ination is comprised of a postural rating form and score sheet (see Appendix B). 10 Postural Training Program.--A series of exer- cises/activities developed by the experimenter to help retarded children improve their posture. The program was developed through research in the areas of "ideal" standing posture, postural defects and corrective ex- ercises. The program was set up to include both exercises/activities for remediating problem areas and exercises/activities for developing an awareness of good posture and overall correct body positioning (see Appendix C). Social_Maturity.—-A subjective measure used by the faculty of Forest Grove School to determine the placement of students into specific classrooms. The subjects in this study were placed in the classroom of Mr. Henkes, teacher of the most socially mature group, because of their level of social maturity. That is, these students are: l. capable and ready to learn work skills 2. capable of working somewhat independently in small groups 3. capable of fitting into a classroom where very little behavior management is needed 4. ll socially appropriate for the class; their friends are in this classroom now or soon will be. Standing Posture.--In this study "posture" re- fers to the relative arrangement of the different parts of the body in the standing position. The "cor- rect" standing position for this study has been deter— mined to be the following: 1. Head: The head is evenly balanced on the shoulders at a 90 degree angle. No tilting is observed either to the side or to the front or back. Shoulders: The shoulders should be relaxed and of a comparable height and elevation. Chin: The chin should be relaxed and at a 90 degree angle to the neck. No tilting is observed. Chest: The sternum (breast bone) should be held high but not high enough to look inflated. Arms: The arms should be relaxed and hang freely at his sides. The areas from the shoulder to the elbow should be in line with an imaginary gravity line from the ear, through the middle of the hip, in back of the kneecap, and in front of the ankle bone. 10. ll. 12. 13. 12 Abdomen: The abdomen should not be absolutely flat, however, the abdominal muscles should not protrude. Spine: The spine should be upright without being stiff. Pelvis: The anterior superior Spine of the iluim (the bones in front of the hip) are more or less horizontal. These bones should not be pointing downward. Hips: The contour and elevation of the hips should be equal. Knees: The knees should be relaxed not locked so that they are not hyperextended (pushed back- ward so that the calf of the leg is bowed backward instead of being more or less hori- zontal). Legs: The legs should have no visual problem with genu valgum (knock-knees) or genu varum (bow- legs). Ankles: The ankles should bend neither inward or outward. Feet: The body weight should be balanced evenly over both feet with the feet pointing 13 directly ahead, about six inches apart. Body weight should be placed in the middle of the foot, just in front of the ankle bone. Trainable Mentally Retarded.——Children are placed in Forest Grove School for the Trainable Mental— ly Retarded who fit the following qualifications: 1. Reside in Montcalm or Ionia counties 2. Have been tested by a school psychologist from IoniaflMontcalm Intermediate School District with such tests as the Wide Range Achievement Test, the Stanford-Binet, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 3. Have been determined through testing and interviews to have an intelligence quotient of between 30 and 50. Scope and Limitations of the Study The subjects in this study are limited to twenty—two trainable retarded students attending For— est Grove School, Spring Term, 1974. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups. Group I was the control group and participated in postural train— ing sessions using nonmusic activities. Group II was the experimental group and participated in postural training sessions using music activities. Due to the time limitations of the study and the intellectual 1: t} be l4 limitations of the subjects, only the specific posture of standing was evaluated in this study. The vari- able of standing posture as compared to an "ideal" was measured during pre— and posttraining for all sub— jects. The training program lasted four weeks with training on three successive days of each week. The order of the sessions was randomly determined. Each youth was compared on his own pre— and posttests, so variations in postures within the group was discounted as an experimental variable. Due to the variance of intellectual limitations of the subjects, different rates and levels of postural improvement were to be expected. Due to the length of time involved in adjudicating the video-tapes, a fatigue factor may have entered into the evaluation. Because of the lack of experience by the adjudicators in judging cor- rect standing posture, some errors may have entered into the evaluation. Due to the uncharacteristic backgrounds of some of the subjects (three were former- ly institutionalized at large state institutions for the mentally retarded) a different result may have been obtained from a different sample. Care was taken 15 at both the pre— and posttests to familiarize all the subjects with the requirements of the evaluation pro- cedure for posture. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a series of specially designed music therapy activities on the improvement of posture of selected retarded students. No experimental work has been found which specifically deals with the use of music in postural training. For this reason, a survey of literature which concerns the value and components of posture training, a description of an ideal standing posture, and the use of music as an aid in learning new skills should serve as sources from which to draw inferences on the importance of postural training and the use of music activities in such training. Value of Postural Training Psychological Well-Being There has been much discussion, both in pos— tural literature and literature on mental retardation, l6 l“h f1 ta ti ti. 17 concerning the value of good posture. The reasons for postural training have generally fallen into two main areas: improvement of health and improvement of appearance. Helping a retarded child to improve his physical appearance is especially important in help- ing him to seem more "normal" and thus more acceptable to society. Faber (1968, 151) states that most re— tardates are "conscious of being different and are aware of being set apart from society." Isaacson (1974, 158) notes that "all retardates want to be ac— cepted as normal people and to avoid the stigma of 'mental retardation'. The overwhelming desire of the individual is to be recognized as a competent individ- ual, fit to live in society, a person of worth." He suggests that "ways must be found to guarantee an adequate level of self—esteem. The stigma of mental retardation must be minimized. The range of success- ful experiences must be maximized." Hutt and Gibby (1958, 33) explain that many of the problems of re— tarded children are not the result of their retarda- tion but of the way in which society thinks about them and reacts to them. These authors stress that "there are no differences between the fundamental 18 personality structure of the retarded child and that of the child of normal intelligence. Both are human beings." Mentally retarded children have the same emotional, psychological and physical needs as all other children. Therefore: Social adjustment is the ultimate goal for trainable retarded children as well as for the educable retarded, and work in all other areas should have the aim of making the child more "socially acceptable." Better speech, better postural habits, respect for property—~these things are part of a specific training to en— hance the social acceptance of the child. The objective is to help the child become more ac- ceptable to others (Willey, 158). Weber (1963, 104) states that the way a child is ac— cepted by peOple is conditioned by how that child looks and acts. He notes that: This is especially true of the child with limited ability. It is wise, then, for parents to make certain that this child is attractively clothed, neat and clean, and has learned the fundamentals of courtesy, politeness and good manner in general. Because people are influenced by the physical appear- ance of the child it is the duty of the people working with that child to help him to make his appearance as pleasing and as normal as possible. The more normal he appears the more easily he will be accepted by others. pl b. j: p1 f1 WJ' CI 19 Physical Well-Being Good posture is important to good health as well as enhancing physical appearance. Throughout the postural literature one finds references to posture being vital to one's effectiveness, well—being and en— joyment of life. Fenton (1973, 10) states that poor posture "contributes to functional disorders like flat feet, headaches, digestive upsets, asthma and stammer— ing." Rathbone (1949, 17-32) refers to a weak posi- tion of the foot giving such symptoms as pain in the arch, calf or lower back, general fatigue and weak and painful knee joints. He also relates fatigue to poor positioning of neck muscles. Goldthwait (1941, 1) states: An individual is in the best health only when the body is so used that there is no strain on the joints, bones, ligaments, muscles, or any other structures. There should be adequate room for all the viscera, so that their function can be performed normally, unless there be some con— genital defect. With good posture, then, one's body efficiency is in- creased in addition to the improvement in physical appearance. U". in. p] Tt tt. SC St re Sh Si be hi Va mo 20 Ideal Standing Posture In this study standing posture was chosen as the specific posture to be evaluated. Standing pos— ture was chosen because, as Wessel (1961, 19) ex- plains: Standing posture is the reflection of the way you use your body second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, and year by year. This posture, your standing alignment, is the point of departure for every other position and movement that you take during your life. This means that without balanced alignment it would be impossible to achieve grace and beauty of your body lines in motion. The "ideal" standing posture has been described over three decades by several authors (Metheny, 1952; Col— son, 1956; Lowman and Young, 1960; Beter and Cragin, 1972). Material by Fenton (1973, 76-77) and Drury (1970, 2-5) appears to be the most helpful to this study. These writers state that when standing cor— rectly a child's head will be balanced evenly on his shoulders with no observable tilting (either to the side or to the front or back); his neck muscles will be in a neutral position (not contracted or stretched); his shoulders will be of a comparable height and ele- vation; his breathing will be gentle with abdominal movement accompanying chest movement; his spine will 21 be upright without being stiff; his stomach will be relaxed but not protruding; the contour and elevation of his hips even; his legs will be straight but not locked; his ankles neither bending inward or outward; and his feet will be pointing straight ahead, a few inches apart. As Rathbone (1949, 76) states: It is probably incorrect to hold up a common standard of posture for all individuals . . . What is ideal for one individual would not be ideal for another. . . . Assuredly some postures are better than others, but we must be careful not to fall into the error of talking as though one particular posture were superior to all others. Within the preceding definition of correct standing posture, then, it can be seen that posture could have a wide range of ”normal." As Metheny (1952, 193) states: There is no single best posture for all in- dividuals. Each person must take the body he has and make the best of it. For each person the best posture is that in which the body seg- ments are balanced in the position of least strain and maximum support. This is an individ- ual matter. In this study the consideration is the search for each subject's best posture not one "correct" posture to fit all. 22 Components of Classroom Posture Training Classroom posture training is usually accom- plished through evaluation and exercise. Phelps (1956), Kelly (1949) and Richardson (1930) purport the use of pictures or films as a very effective way of evalu- ating posture. In addition, Kelly (1949, 61) suggests the use of photographs in motivating children to im- prove their posture. She states: No single factor is more effective in moti- vating pupils toward real effort than the per- sonal posture picture. Most pupils have been told to "stand up straight" as long as they can remember. Most pupils know verbally and visu- ally what good posture is. Few pupils, however, have any real knowledge of their own posture, either good or poor. Pupils who are quite in- different to "talk" about posture improvement are quickly motivated when they evaluate their own pictures in terms of acceptable standards. Frequent comments are "I didn't know I looked like that," and "My mother says I have poor posture. Now I know what she's talking about." Comparison of first pictures with subsequent pictures is also a most gratifying evidence of progress. Drury (1970, 29—102), Truslow (1943, 138-238), Phelps (147-167), and Lowman (1960, 256—318)among others, have developed specific exercises for strengthening and stretching weak muscle areas. According to Richardson (1930, 90), the main postural defects, which have been found to be of almost 23 universal occurrence, are flat feet, tight posterior muscles, weak abdominal muscles, exaggerated lumbar curve and winged scapulae. In looking at the subjects of this study the above areas were found to be the most obvious defect areas. Exercises to alleviate them were determined and comprise a portion of the Postural Training Program. In the following para- graphs an explanation of the five defect areas and a list of activities used to remediate them will be presented. Flat Feet According to Truslow (1943, 138): Although faulty shoes, disease and deforming injury play important parts in causing foot dis- ability, the strains and stresses due to man's standing position must remain the principal factor in causing weak feet, flat feet and metatarsal derangement. Weak feet are not only locally disabling but are often responsible for strain and disability above the feet in such places as the calves, knees, hips and the back (Truslow, 155). As Phelps states (1956, 130): The greatest source of discomfort leading to a postural disturbance is that of flat feet, "fallen arches" or "weak ankle positions." Actu- ally these conditions are all due in large part 24 to pronation. . . . If marked, the inner border of the foot may make full contact with the ground and the heels "cant" outwardly at an angle of 60 to 70 degrees. Usually the heel cord is long or slack and the individual may seem to toe out. The opposite stance may be ob- served, wherein the foot is inwardly rotated and the heel shows a tilting away from the center of gravity. Exercises to strengthen feet are composed mainly of exercises to strengthen the arch. These include ex- ercises to strengthen toe flexors and exercises to stretch the achilles tendon. Exercises included in the Postural Training Program are: 1. Exercises to strengthen toe flexors --"Toe Exercises" ——"Picking Up Pencils" 2. Exercises to stretch the achilles tendon --"Hee1 Bounce" --"Elephant walk" 3. Exercises to develop consciousness of correct positioning of the foot --"Walking Exercise" Tight Posterior Muscles The posterior muscles of the lower limb ex- tend all the way from the pelvic girdle to the heel. They include the tendon of achilles and the group of hamstring muscles on the posterior aspect of the thigh. According to Richardson (1930, 106), an abnormal 25 tightness in this group of muscles is often accom- panied by a "flat-footed" gait. This occurs because the feet are turned out to put less pull on the posteri— or muscles. Such everted feet give way easily and be— come flattened. People who suffer from tight posterior muscles often have considerable pain in their calves and the posterior part of their thighs. Exercises in- cluded in the Postural Training Program to stretch posterior muscles are: 1. ”Row, Row, Row Your Boat"; numbers 1 and 2 2. "Elephant Walk" Weak Abdominal Muscles According to Drury (1970, 54): The common problem in the abdominal region is relaxed or protruding abdomen. It is generally a true statement that the tone or strength of the abdominal muscles gives an indication as to the overall tone or fitness of the individual. Richardson (1930, 119) states that many authorities believe that the abdominal muscles "constitute the keystone of good posture." A protruding abdomen can be the result of defects of the thorax and low back which weaken or elongate the abdominal wall. Viscer- optosis, or drooping of the abdominal viscera, is 26 caused by weakness of the abdominal muscles (Drury, 1970, 54). According to Drury, "it leads to laxness of the mesenteric and peritoneal attachments to the stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, with adverse effect on digestion." Weak abdominal muscles also lead to lordosis. Exercises to strengthen abdominal muscles which are included in the Postural Training Program are: 1. "If You're Happy” 2. "Snake Walk" Exaggerated Lumbar Curve According to Richardson (1930, 129), there is a normal forward curve of the spinal column in the region known as the "small of the back" (lumbar por— tion of the spine). He explains that when this curve loses its "continuity and becomes more or less angu- lar, an abnormal condition of the spine results." This condition, lordosis, has several causes. One cause is tight posterior muscles due to the increased pull on the posterior muscles of the legs and the back. As Richardson explains (1930, 133): 27 These muscles tend to approximate (draw closer together) their points of attachment to the bones of the legs and hips. The pull of these posterior muscles when they are too strong, may be so great, that the balance of power between the opposing muscle groups is lost. This upsets the correct relations of the bones of the skeleton. Any deviation from the normal curve in the lumbar region of the spine forces the abdominal organs into an abnormal position. Poor posture is the inevitable re- sult. Another cause of lordosis is weak abdominal muscles. When the abdominal muscles are too weak the balance of power between the abdominal muscles and the back muscles is upset. The pull they both exert is not equal, so they fail to keep the pelvic girdle in cor- rect relation to other parts of the skeleton. As Richardson explains, "as the tension on the anterior surface of the skeleton is relaxed, the muscles on the posterior aspect will contract, as their contrac- tion is no longer opposed. This produces a greater angle in the lumbar region. Another cause of lordosis is habitual standing with hyperextended knees. According to Richardson (134), "the thrusting back of the knees forces forward the crest of the pelvic girdle, and the normal lumbar curve changes into an abnormal angle. This 28 hyperextension of the knees is often the result of maintaining a stiff and tense standing position." The effects of lordosis include abnormal functioning of abdominal organs (because of displacement) and pain in the lumbar region due to increased angle. Lowman (1960, 115) states that "lordosis is usually accompanied by such compensatory deviations as for- ward head, cervical lordosis, round shoulders, flat chest, back knees, or flat feet." Exercises to cor- rect exaggerated lumbar curve which are included in the Postural Training Program are "Row, Row, Row Your Boat“ Numbers 1 and 2, "Elephants," "If You're Happy," and "Snake Walk." Winged Scapulae Children with winged scapulae have prominent shoulder blades which are sometimes described as "angel wings." Richardson states (1930, 139): When a child has prominent shoulder blades, he presents to the examiner other undesirable features as well. The shoulder girdle dr0ps forward, with a resultant decrease in the size of the thoracic cavity. This in turn impairs the action of both heart and lungs; for the space in which these organs function has been appreciably lessened. Hence the lungs cannot 29 efficiently supply the blood with oxygen; and the heart has a greater amount of work to per- form, to compensate for this incapacity of the lungs to function satisfactorily. With decreased efficiency of the heart and lungs waste products remain in the body longer than is normal and thus the body develops lowered resistance to disease. Winged scapulae develop from the shoulders being for— ward which "leads to increased dorsal kyphosis and a flat chest, allowing the scapulae to slide around the convexity of the thorax" (Phelps, 68). The deformity is further associated with either an elevation or de- pression of the shoulders. Exercises included in the Postural Training Program are "Kangaroo Hop" and "Circles in the Air." The Use of Music as an Aid in Learning New Skills Although a review of literature has revealed no studies on the use of music in postural training, a number of studies have been found which show music to be effective as an aid in learning new skills. Dillon (1952, 1—8) conducted a study with 240 college females over a period of three years. The purpose of the study was to determine the value of music as an aid in teaching swimming. In the music group specific 30 music was chosen with regard to its tempo when spe- cific skills were practiced and general background music was used when the students were swimming. She found that swimmers who were taught with music im- proved more in swimming speed and in form than did swimmers who were taught without music. Beisman (1967, 172), in a study involving 607 children in grades one through six, found that the use of rhythmic accompaniment (provided through the media of records, piano, tape recorder, drum, clapping and singing) provided more improvement of fundamental motor skills than did teaching and practice without rhythmic ac- companiment. The motor skills tested included throw— ing, catching, climbing, balancing, jumping, leaping, dodging, bouncing and striking. Isern (1958, 162- 165) found that the use of music positively influenced the memory of retarded children. Using a story and a song equated according to length, similarity of con— tent, difficulty of text, appeal of the context and the number of items to be remembered in each, she found that "a more significant number of items were recalled from the song as compared to the number of 31 items recalled from the story for the immediate, re- cent and remote recall." She feels that the feeling state of music "apparently helped to reinforce, or- ganize and focus the attention of the subjects upon the learning experience." Seybold (1971, 102—110), in working with speech delayed children, found that the addition of music activities in speech therapy provided the necessary stimulation for the child to use spontaneous speech at the .10 level of signifi- cance . CHAPTER III DESIGN OF THE STUDY Method This study was directed toward the determina- tion of the effects of music therapy sessions on the improvement of standing posture in selected retarded students. There were twenty-two subjects in the study. All subjects were Caucasian; no other racial or ethnic groups were represented at Forest Grove School. Eleven subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental group and eleven to the control group. All subjects were trained in correct stand- ing posture according to the ideas of Fenton (1973, 76-77) and Drury (1970, 2—5). The training program lasted for four weeks, with training on three succes— sive days each week. Measurements were taken on the amount of improvement in posture as measured on all subjects' pre- and posttest scores and the results compared. 32 33 Subjects The subjects involved in this study were twenty— two students in the class of Mr. Robert Henkes, at Forest Grove School in Fenwick, Michigan. One student in this class was not included as a subject in the study because of severe physical limitations. The faculty of Forest Grove School, a school for the train- able mentally retarded, divided the sixty—seven stu— dents into three classrooms each having a certified special education teacher and two teacher's aides. The students were assigned to their particular class— rooms according to age and social maturity; assign- ment did not include I.Q. The students in Mr. Henkes' class were chosen as subjects for the experiment be- cause, of the three classes, they were the oldest and most socially mature. It has been found that adult postural defects usually have their origin in ado- lescence (Phelps, 51). Adolescence, then, is the time when good posture habits should be taught. Phelps states that posture training is "not only most impor- tant at that age, but it is most satisfactorily carried out" (1956, 51). There was no known history of previous postural training programs for any of the 34 subjects. It is important to note that many of these students came to Forest Grove School from long—term, full-time placements in large state supported institu- tions for the mentally retarded and thus generally lacked the stimulation of a home environment or a small school setting. For many of these children, Forest Grove School was their first experience in a school setting and for this reason they cannot be compared to the general population of thirteen to twenty—six year old, trainable, mentally retarded stu- dents attending a public school for the trainable mentally retarded. There is, however, no reason to believe that these students were unique when compared to past students at the school. Setting The sequence of sessions in the daily schedule was randomly determined each day by picking a number out of a hat. If Roman numeral I was selected, Group I (control group/nonmusic) was scheduled from 10:00 to 10:20 A.M. and Group II (experimental group/music) was scheduled from 10:40 to 11:00 A.M. If Roman nu- meral II was selected, Group II was scheduled from 35 10:00 to 10:20 A.M. and Group I was scheduled from 10:40 to 11:00 A.M. Both groups were taught by the experimenter in the same room. The room was chosen because it was large enough to provide adequate work- ing and moving space for eleven children. The floor was carpeted which enabled the children to go bare- foot, lie down, and roll around on the floor. The room was well lighted and ventilated, attractively decorated and had full length drapes which could be pulled to block out any distractions. The room was familiar to all of the children and provided no dis— tractions for them. The experimental and control groups were both given the same skills practice with identical number of repetitions. Every effort was made to have the use of music the only difference between the two groups. Data Gathering Procedures For this study the data were obtained from two sources: the staff and records from Forest Grove School and postural ratings administered by the re— searcher. 36 The principal of Forest Grove School, Mrs. Clarice Cummings, maintains a file for each of the students in the school. Each file contains informa- tion about the child's sex, age, I.Q. and the length of time the child has been enrolled in the school. From consultation with Mr. Henkes, the subjects' teacher, a general level of functioning in the class- room was obtained for each student. The data from the students' files were collected during April, 1974 and are to be considered valid through the completion of the study. The information about each student was recorded according to a code number randomly assigned by the researcher. This procedure insured the anonym— ity of the subjects. The data collected regarding the subjects' sex, age, level of functioning and length of time in attendance at Forest Grove School can be seen in Table 1. The second category of data came from postural ratings given both before and after the experimental condition. The postural ratings consisted of video— taped presentations of each subject. Each subject was positioned in front of the video-tape recorder with his heels touching a line stationary on the 37 Table 1.--Sex, Age, General Level of Functioning and Length of Time in Forest Grove School Level of Years in Subject Sex Age Functioning, Forest Grove School 1 M 18 H 2 2 M 17 L 7 3 M 17 L 11 4 M 16 M 7 5 F 16 M 10 6 F 15 H 2 7 F 16 M 9 8 F 17 L 12 9 F 16 H 11 10 F 18 M 7 11 M 21 L 13 12 M 16 H 7 13 M 18 H 7 14 M 19 L 13 15 M 17 M 3 16 F 24 L 13 17 M 17 H 11 18 M 15 H 2 19 M 16 H 3 20 M 16 L 11 21 M 18 H 13 22 M 15 H 1 H = High level of functioning M = Medium level of functioning 38 floor and the center of his body corresponding to a line on the wall drawn by the experimenter. Two teach— ers (one of which was the classroom teacher) acted as aides and helped to position each subject. Because of the small size of the school (sixty-seven students), both teachers were very familiar to all of the sub- jects. Three students from another classroom were video—taped first to serve as practice examples for the adjudicators. Each subject was positioned and video-taped twice. The first taping was to famili- arize the students with the procedure and to check for any problems with the equipment. The second video- taping was used for the postural rating. The rating consisted of each subject assuming four positions for a given number of seconds. Position one, posterior view, was held for 45 seconds. Position two, the bent view, was held for 15 seconds; position three, leg view, for 15 seconds; and position four, anterior— posterior view, for 45 seconds. After each position was assumed the video—taping was begun. At the end of the specified time it was stopped and the next po- sition assumed. The procedure was repeated until all four positions were taped for each of the twenty—two 39 subjects. The subjects were video-taped on two con— secutive days in a random order as determined by the teacher aides. The male subjects were clad only in shorts and were barefooted. The female subjects wore shorts, blouses and were barefooted. After each of the video-taped postural ratings, a panel of adjudicators met and viewed the video—tapes. The adjudicators included two professors and three graduate students in the music department. Each adju- dicator viewed each of the four positions of each of the twenty-two subjects and recorded his postural rating according to the directions on the score sheet. The same procedure was followed for both the pre— and posttest. Independent Variables Five independent variables were established in this study. These were age, sex, level of function— ing, length of time attending Forest Grove School and participation in a postural training program. 1392 The age of each subject was found by checking the date of birth in his official school file. The 40 range of ages for the subjects was from fifteen to twenty—four years old. Three subjects were 15 years old, seven were 16, five were 17, four were 18, one was 19, one was 21, and one was 24 years old. Group I (control/nonmusic) was found to contain two 15 year olds, three 16 year olds, four 17 year olds, one 18 year old, and one 19 year old. Group II (experimental/ music) was found to contain one 15 year old, four 16 year olds, one 17 year old, three 18 year olds, one 21 year old and one 24 year old. Table 2.-—Number of Subjects in Each Age Group for Control and Experimental Groups Age: 15 l6 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Group I (Control/ nonmusic) 2 3 4 l 1 Group II (Experimental/ music) 1 4 1 3 1 l The subject population contained fifteen male and seven female subjects. Group I (control/nonmusic) contained nine males and two females. Group II 41 (experimental/music) contained six male and five fe- male subjects. Table 3.-—Composition of Control and Experimental Groups According to Sex Male Female Group I (control/nonmusic) 9 2 Group II (experimental/music) 6 5 Level of Functioning The level of functioning for each subject was determined by the classroom teacher (see definition). Ten subjects were determined to be functioning in the classroom at a high level; five at a medium level and seven at a low level. Group I (control/nonmusic) was composed of three high functioning, three medium func- tioning and five low functioning subjects. Group II (experimental/music) was composed of seven high func- tioning, two medium functioning and two low function- ing subjects. 42 Length of Time in Forest Grove School The length of time in attendance at Forest Grove School was determined by checking each subject's official school record. The range of time in attend— ance extended from one to thirteen years. All of the subjects had attended the school for at least one year. Table 4.——Number of Subjects in Each Level of Function- ing for Control and Experimental Groups High Medium Low Group I (control/nonmusic) 3 3 5 Group II (experimental/music) 7 2 2 43 AUHmDE\HmusmEHnmmxmv HH msouo N mm x Hm x om >4 mmd'hwtrmcn FiFIH Aoflmsegoa\aouusoov H macaw |lli ma NH HH OH 0 m b o m g m N H «memo» macaw mom Domhnsm Mom Hoosom m>ouw Dmmuom Ga pmHHoncm mummy mo anEDZII.m magma 44 Postural Training Program The Postural Training Program is a series of exercises/activities developed by the researcher to help retarded children improve their standing posture. For a complete definition and an explanation of the exercises and activities included in this program see Appendix C. The Postural Training Program consisted of twelve, twenty minute sessions. The daily sequence of sessions was determined randomly and the experi- mental and control groups were both given the same skills practice with an identical number of repeti— tions. Every effort was made to have the music as the only difference between the activities of the two groups. 45 x x x x x x x x x x x Aowmse \agpcmeflnwmwmv HH macaw x x x x x x x x x AUHmDEcoc \Houpgoov H macaw NN Hm om me we s3 on ma ea ma NH He 03 m m s o m a m m H .uomnnsm Emumoum mcflqflmue HMHSpmom on» :H masonw Hmpgmeflnmmxm paw Honucoo mo GOHuwmomEOUII.m manna 46 Dependent Variable The dependent variable in this study is the im- provement of the standing posture of twenty-two train- able mentally retarded students from Forest Grove School. Improvement in standing posture was deter— mined by pre— and posttests given by the researcher. These tests consisted of a rating by five adjudicators of the video-taped posture of each subject. The ad- judicators saw the children only during the video— taped tests and did not know which subjects partici- pated in which group. The tapes were evaluated ac- cording to a postural rating designed by the research- er. Each component of standing posture was evaluated and given a score from 1 (most deviation from "ideal" posture) to 4 (no deviation from "ideal" posture). A total postural score was tallied for the test and a comparison of the posttest with the pretest score resulted in a change score for each individual. Materials The materials used in this study included: 1. Video-tape equipment 2. Stopwatch 3. Forms 47 4. Postural Training Program 5. Musical songs and recordings Video-tape Equipment The video-tape equipment used for the experi- ment consisted of a Panasonic Tape-a—Vision Portable Video—tape Recorder, model NV—8100, a Panasonic Transistor Television, model TR-413V, and a Panasonic Television Camera, model WV-350P with tripod. Stopwatch A Hanhart #381/300 stopwatch was used to con- trol the time interval of the subject's performance. regime The forms used for recording data included a Postural Rating Form and Score Sheet (see Appendix B). The Postural Rating Form included definitions and sug- gestions of what to look for in determining good pos— ture for the upper, middle and lower body in posterior, bent, leg and anterior—posterior views. The Score Sheet was comprised of individual sections for re- cording the scores for each postural View. Each View (posterior, bent, leg and anterior-posterior) received a sub-total score. These sub-totals, then, were added 48 together for a grand total postural score. A perfect score was computed to be 104 points. The Postural Rating Form and Score Sheet were adopted and modi- fied from ideas and forms of Drury (1970, 2—13), Phelps (1956, 56—138), Colson (1956, 3-20), Truslow (1943, 12-124), Lowman (1960, 136—165) and Baumgartner Postural Training Program The activities used to work on improving pos- ture were a combination of activities designed to strengthen and stretch certain muscle groups and to draw attention to and make the children aware of good posture. All of the activities were repeated at least two times so that a child missing one day of class would not completely miss one exercise and thus miss out on all of the benefits of that exercise. The strengthening and stretching exercises were adopted and modified from ideas of Drury (1970), Phelps (1956), Beter and Cragin (1972), Kelly (1949), and Richardson (1930). The music activities were developed from the researcher's background and experiences in music therapy. For a complete explanation of the activi— ties see Appendix C. 49 Musical Recordings and Songs follows: The songs and albums used in this study are as Songs 1. "If You're Happy" This Is Music, Grade Three. Allyn and Bacon, Chicago, Illinois, 1961. p. 156. 2. "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" Exploring Music 2. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, 1971. p. 129. 3. "Mary Had a Little Lamb" familiar nursery rhyme. 4. "Ten Little Indians" familiar nursery rhyme. 5. "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain“ This Is Music, Grade Four. Allyn and Bacon, Chicago, Illinois, 1961. p. 154. 6. "The Wheels of the Bus" Exploring Music, Kindergarten. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, 1971. p. 15. Albums 1. "Chicken Fat" Alley Cat and Chicken Fat. Wonderland Golden Records. LP 281. 2. "Elephants" Saint—Saens Carnival of Animals. RCA LP LSC-2596. 3. "Hokey Pokey" Alley Cat and Chicken Fat. Wonderland Golden Records. LP 281. 4. "Kangaroos" Saint—Saens Carnival of Animals. RCA LP LSC—2596. 50 5. "Sammy the Snake" Muppet Alphabet Album Star- ring Jim Henson's Muppets from Sesame St. LP CC25503 XSM 155263. 6. "Skybird" Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Colum- bia Records. LP K832550. 7. "Theme from 'Shaft'" Motion Picture Themes. United Artists Records, Inc. UXS—89. Handling of Missing Data Due to the limited number of sessions in the study (two pretest, twelve experimental, and one post- test) the researcher made the determination at the beginning of the study that the score of any subject missing one-fifth or more of the total sessions would be dropped from the data. Four subjects (8, 9, l6, l7) missed three or more of the sessions and, although they continued to participate in the study, their scores were dropped from the accumulated data. Table 7 shows the attendance of each subject. For the compila- tion of data for the experiment only the scores of 18 subjects were used. Statistical Procedures The reliability of the testing method was deter- mined by the Hoyt Reliability Scale which computed the reliability of sets of ratings by the five adjudicators. Table 7.-Absences for Each Subject During the Study Pretest Session Total Post- test Absences 11 12 10 1 Subject HMMN O X 11 12 O H X 13 14 O'wcn 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 X X H present at 3e331on absent from session X 51 52 A t—test was used to determine if differences existed between the groups at the pretest. A t—test was used to determine the effects of training on each group's posttest scores. An analysis of variance of the posttest by group was used to determine whether or not posttest differences were due to the training effect or to chance. CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION OF RESUDTS The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of two postural training programs on the im- provement of standing posture in selected trainable retarded students. Three hypotheses were established for investi- gation: 1. There is improvement in the standing posture of selected trainable retarded students with the use of nonmusic activities in a short— term program. 2. There is improvement in the standing posture of selected trainable retarded students with the use of music activities in a short—term program. 3. There is a significant difference between the use of music and nonmusic activities in the improvement of standing posture in selected trainable retarded students in a short-term program. 53 54 There were twenty-two subjects at the pretest and eighteen at the posttest. The data of four subjects were dropped from the study before the posttest due to excessive absences. Subjects were randomly as- signed to the following groups: Group I - Control (nonmusic) N = 11 Group II — Experimental (music) N = 11 Table 8 indicates that at the pretest Group I had more variance than Group II. However, the training period tended to eliminate some of the extreme scores and by the posttest the groups were more alike. The study involved determining pre— and posttest postural values on 9 control and 9 experimental subjects. At the pre- test all of the subjects were video-taped by the ex— perimenter in their interpretation of the "ideal" standing posture. This video—tape was shown to five adjudicators later the same day and each subject's posture was rated according to a predetermined rating guide (see Appendix B, Postural Rating). The total score for each subject from each adjudicator was com- piled from 26 individual scores and 4 sub—total scores. The combined total scores for each subject by all five adjudicators is referred to as the Grand Total Score. 55 gm.mH b.0H m¢.om m.m¢¢ mm.hH m.Hm¢ 0.0H mm.NH ¢¢.mm NN.®m¢ ©¢.Hm @©.mmw .Q.m amoz .Q.m gums .Q.m cmmz .Q.m gmmz .Q.m cmmz .n m Gmmz mnoom mmcmno ammuumom mepmum muoom mmamsu ummpvmom ymwumnm AoflmSE\HmpcmEHHmmxwv HH abomo AuflmSECOGVAOHuGOUV H mbomw mmsouw Hmucmeflnmmxm paw Houpgou How mwuoom mmgmnv paw meppmom .vmmpmum so mwuoom gofiumfi>wa chapcmum paw gmmzll.m magma 56 It was possible to earn 104 points on the rating. Five days after the pretest, the postural train— ing program was begun. Group I was taught correct standing posture through the use of nonmusic activi- ties. Group II was taught correct standing posture with the use of music activities. The activities used with both groups were identical as possible with the exception of the music used with Group II. The order of the training sessions was randomly determined with each session lasting twenty minutes. Training took place on three successive days each week for four weeks. On the day of the cessation of training, a post— test video—tape was recorded of each subject's "ideal" standing posture. This video-tape was evaluated the same day in the same way as the pretest by the five adjudicators who had scored the pretests. Data Analysis Three analyses were used in this study: 1. Analysis to determine the reliability of the testing method. 2. Analysis to determine the pretest differences between the control and experimental groups. 57 3. Analyses to determine the training effect on the experimental and control groups. All computations for analyzing the data in this study were carried out at the Michigan State Uni— versity Computer Center using the Control Data Com— puter No. 6500 and appropriate SSPS programs. Raw data summarizing all pre- and posttest training measurements are contained in Appendix A. Results Reliability of the Testinngethod A reliability analysis of the testing method was computed by the Hoyt SPSS computer program. This program, based on the analysis of variance, is used for estimating the reliability of sets of ratings and for establishing the reliability of the "average rating as a criterion for validating a selection test" (Meh- rens, 116). The reliability coefficient of the test (The Postural Rating) was found to be 0.743 showing an acceptably high reliability (see Table 9). Comparison of Groups at the Pretest A t-test was used to determine if significant differences existed between the groups at the pretest. 58 emmms. n madam m4~mo.4m mm ommmm.am0m Hmuoe mmmss.ma mo ommmm.~soa Hmscflmmm momaa.ma Haaom.mmm a «aeee.mmm mousmmmz cmmspmm mmmma.mm ms ooooo.omom mamomm ceases mmoma.mm he ommmm.mooa mfidomm ammzumm ucmfloflmmmou m mummmw Soommnm mmnmnqm goflumflmmw. mpflaflpmflamm sum: mo moonmmm mo Esm mo monsom mocmHHm> mo mammamnfi thHHQMHHmm umomll.m manna 59 No significant statistical difference was found be- tween the control and experimental groups on the pre- test (t = .68, df = 16, p = .503) (see Table 10). Table lO.--t-Test Analysis of Differences Between Control and Experimental Groups at the Pretest No. of Group Cases Mean S.D. df t Group I (experimental/music) 9 423.66 31.46 16 .68 Group II (control/nonmusic) 9 431.88 17.53 Not significant at the .05 level of confidence (criti— cal t value = 2.120, df = 16) Comparison of the Grogps Over the Training_Period An analysis of variance of the posttest by group with the pretest as covariate was used to deter— mine whether or not posttest differences were due to the training effect or to chance. The F value of .776 was not significant at the .05 level of confidence and indicates that the difference in scores between the pre- and posttests in the groups was due either to chance or to the level of standing posture ability as measured by the pretest. 60 Table 11.--An Analysis of Variance of the Posttest by Group With the Pretest as Covariate —-—‘—7 ——:_ Source of Sum of Degrees of Mean Variation Sgpares Freedom Sgpare F Covariates Pretest 5344.442 1 5344.442 21.058 Main Effects Group 196.833 1 196.833 .776 Residual 3807.003 15 254.800 Total 9348.278 17 549.899 Pre— to posttest differences in the dependent variable were also analyzed. A t-test between the pretest and posttest scores for each group revealed no significant difference in postural improvement for either group (t=.75, t = 1.20). Review of Hypotheses Hypotheses l and 2 1. There is no significant improvement in the standing posture of selected trainable re- tarded students with the use of a nonmusic activity program. 2. There is no significant improvement in the standing posture of selected trainable 61 retarded students with the use of music activities in a short—term program. The t-test results stated above reveal that there is no significant difference in the pretest and posttest score for either group and thus, hypotheses 1 and 2 were accepted. Hypothesis 3 3. There is no significant difference between the use of music and nonmusic activities in the improvement of standing posture in selected trainable retarded students in a short—term program. The F value in Table 11 indicates that there was no significant difference in scores between the posttests and thus music activities were not more effective than nonmusic activities in postural train- ing. Hypothesis 3, then, was accepted. Discussion The statistical results demonstrate that music activities were no more effective than nonmusic activi— ties in improving standing posture and that the 62 Postural Training Program was not effective in sig— nificantly improving the standing posture of selected trainable retarded students. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECQVIMENDATIONS The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two training programs on the improvement of standing posture in retarded children. Twenty—two subjects were used in the study. The study was con- ducted over a five-week period during the Spring term of 1974. There were 11 experimental subjects, and 11 control subjects. Subjects were assigned to either the nonmusic (control) posture training group or the music (experimental) posture training group. The data of four of the subjects were dropped from the study because of excessive absences. Thus, the data used in the study are from 9 experimental and 9 con- trol subjects. The subjects trained for four weeks, on three successive days each week. Group I used nonmusic activities and Group II used music activities in a Postural Training Program designed by the researcher. 63 64 All subjects were tested in their interpreta- tion of "ideal" standing posture at a pre— and post- test. Reliability of the testing method was evalu- ated by the Hoyt Reliability Analysis. A t—test was conducted on pretest data to determine any signifi— cance between groups. A t-test was also conducted to determine the effects of training on each group's posttest scores. An analysis of variance was used to determine if the difference in posttest scores between the two groups was due to the training effect or to chance. The complete analysis was directed towards determining whether: 1. There was a significant improvement in the standing posture of selected trainable re— tarded students with the use of a nonmusic activity program. 2. There was a significant improvement in the standing posture of trainable retarded stu- dents with the use of a music activity program. 3. There was a significant difference between the use of music and nonmusic activities in the 65 improvement of standing posture in selected trainable retarded students. Conclusions The conclusions drawn from this study apply only to the sample from which the data were obtained. Based on the results of this investigation, the fol- lowing conclusions seem pertinent: l. The two postural training programs employed in this study, nonmusic exercises/activities and music exercises/activities, did not sig- nificantly improve standing posture in se- lected trainable retarded students. 2. The use of music exercises/activities in pos— tural training was not found to be more effec- tive than the use of nonmusic exercises/ activities in postural training. Discussion This study came about because of a need at Forest Grove School. It was agreed by both the staff at the school and this experimenter, that the students needed training in posture and body mechanics to im— 'prove their physical appearance. Since no postural 66 training had been offered at the school in the four- teen years of its existence, no postural training pro- gram had been developed for use with the students. The idea of developing a program designed to improve the overall posture of the children was discarded early in the planning of this project. Such a pro- gram would have involved much more time than was available to the researcher and would have been too great a task for intellectually limited students to absorb at one time. A four-week program was eventu- ally designed with the objective being to introduce correct standing posture to the students. The following problem areas were encountered in the study: 1. The training period was found to be too short for postural improvement. 2. The sample size was very small. 3. A more complete training program in postural rating was needed for the adjudicators (see Appendix D for the training program used in this study). Training Period The postural training program consisted of twelve, twenty-minute sessions which ran three 67 successive days a week for four weeks. By the end of the training period it was clear to the experimenter that the four-week period was not a long enough time to make substantial gains in postural improvement. Posture is a habit, and as Metheny (1952, 93) states: "for good or ill, it is a habit which is acquired through long hours of conscious or unconscious prac- tice." Thus, it is not surprising that the twenty— minute sessions spent on posture exercises produced very little in the way of postural improvement. It is recommended that future postural training programs, with this type of subject, be designed to include daily sessions over an entire academic year. With such a long-term program significant gains could be expected. Sample Size The study was designed to include 22 of the 23 students in one of the three classes at Forest Grove School. One student was eliminated from the study because of severe physical limitations. Due to absences from the postural training sessions, the data of four subjects were later eliminated from the 68 study. This brought the total sample size down to eighteen subjects with nine in each group. It is recommended that future postural training programs in- clude a larger sample size. Training Program for the Adjudicators The adjudicators were given clear instructions on how to rate standing posture and had the video- tapings of three sample subjects on which to practice. However, due to the complexity of postural rating and the inexperience of the adjudicators in rating posture, some errors may have entered into the evaluations. In future studies it is recommended that an indepth postural rating program be designed for training the adjudicators. Statistically, music activities were not found to be more effective than nonmusic activities in the improvement of the students' standing posture. How- ever, there was a distinct difference in the "feeling state" of the two groups during the training sessions. The participants of the nonmusic group often com— plained about coming to the sessions and needed en- couragement to participate in some of the activities. 69 In the music group, however, the subjects were usually eager to participate. Some subjects even mentioned that they enjoyed coming to the sessions. At one point in a session of the nonmusic group, two subjects began singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as accompani— ment to an exercise. When their singing was stopped by the researcher they expressed dismay at having to continue the exercise without the musical accompani— i ment. Although music activities were not found to be more effective than nonmusic activities in teach- ing standing posture in this study, they did seem to make exercising more enjoyable for the music group. The general attitude of the adjudicators, after rating the posttests, was that the subjects' posture had greatly improved since the pretest. One adjudicator was very surprised at the results of the study stating that he had had very positive feelings about what had happened between the pre— and posttests. He felt that he had seen significant gains in standing posture at the posttest. This researcher suspects that the statistical outcome of the study was due to problems of technique in running the study. With changes made in techniques (see recommendations) 70 significant gains might be seen in the postural scores of the music group. mended that: 1. Suggestions for Further Research From the findings of this study, it is recom— The study be replicated with the following changes: a. Standing posture be examined over a nine- month period A larger sample be used in the study (possibly two classes from a school, or the entire school population) Indepth postural rating program be de- signed for training the adjudicators Still photographs used instead of video- tapes. Photographs could be studied carefully by each adjudicator and precise measurements could be made Further research be designed to examine such postures as sitting, walking and working. The development of postural norms for the population of trainable mentally retarded students be undertaken. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Baumgartner, Albert J. Postural Training and Remedial Gymnastics. Minneapolis: Burgess Publishing COO, 1943. F Beter, Thais R., and Cragin, Wesley E. The Mentally Retarded Child and His Motor Behavior. Spring- field, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1972. Cardinell, R. L. in Schullian, Dorothy M. and Schoen, Max. Music and Medicine. New York: G. P. Put- nam's Sons, 1930. Colson, John. Postural and Relaxation Training_in Physiotherapy and Physical Education. Spring- field, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1956. Drury, Blanche J. Posture and Figure Control Through Physical Education. Palo Alto, California: The National Press, 1970. Faber, Nancy W. The Retarded Child. New York: Crown Publisher, Inc., 1968. Fenton, Jack V. Practical Movement Control. Boston: Plays, Inc., 1973. Goldthwait, Joel E., Brown, Lloyd T., Swaim, Loring T., and Kuhns, John. BodyyMechanics in Health and Disease. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1941. Hoyt, Cyril J. in Mehrens, William A. and Ebel, Robert L. Principles of Educational and Psychological Measurement: A Book of Selected Readings. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1967. 72 73 Hutt, Max L. and Gibby, Robert G. The Mentally Re- tarded Child: Develppment, Education and Gpi— dance. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1958. Isaacson, Robert. The Retarded Child: A Guide for Parents and Friends. Niles, Illinois: Argus Communications, 1974. Kasch, Fred W. and Boyer, John L. Adult Fitness: Principles and Practice. Palo Alto, California: National Press Books, 1968. Kelly, Ellen Davis. Teaching Posture and Body Mech- anics. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1949. Lowman, Charles L. and Young, Carl H. Postural Fit- ness: Significance and Variances. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1960. Mehrens, William A. and Ebel, Robert. Principles of Educational and Psychological Measurement: A Book of Selected Readings. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1967. Metheny, Eleanor. Body Dynamics. New York: McGraw— Hill Book Company, Inc., 1952. Nie, Norman H., Hull, C. Hadlai, Jenkins, Jean G., Steinbrenner, Karen and Bent, Dale H. Statisti- cal Package for the Social Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1975. Phelps, Winthrop M., Kiphuth, Robert J., Goff, Charles ‘W. The Diagnosis and Treatment of Postural De- fects. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1956. Rathbone, Josephine Langworthy. Corrective Physical Education. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 1949. Richardson, Frank H. and Hearn, Winifred J. The Pre- School Child and His Posture. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1930. 74 Truslow, walter. Body Poise. Baltimore: The Williams and Wilkins Company, 1943. Weber, Elmer W} Mentally Retarded Children and Their Education. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1963. Webster. Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary. Spring- field, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Company, 1963. E ‘i Wessel, Janet A. Movement Fundamentals. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1961. Willey, Roy D. and waite, Kathleen B. The Mentally Retarded Child: IdentificationL Acceptance, and Curriculum. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1964. Periodicals Beisman, Gladys Lang. "Effect of Rhythmic Accompani- ment Upon Learning of Fundamental Motor Skills," Research Quarterly, 38: 172-176, May. Dillon, Evelyn K. "Study of Use of Music as an Aid in Teaching Swimming," Research Quarteply, 23: 1—8, 1952. Gantzer, Alice V. "Postural Methods," The Ppysical Educator, 2: 12—17, October. Isern, Betty. "The Influence of Music Upon the Memory of Mentally Retarded Children," Journal of Music Therapy, 8:162-165. Link, Ruth B. "Physical Fitness Through Rhythmical Activities," The Physical Educator, 21: 104, October. Morgan, R. E. "The Posture of Schoolboys," The Physi- cal Educator, 56: 1-11, March. 75 Moriarty, Mary J. and Irwin, Leslie W. "A Study of the Relationship of Certain Physical and Emo- tional Factors to Habitual Poor Posture Among School Children," Research Quarterly, 23: 221- 225, March. Nelson, Dale 0. "Effect of Selected Rhythms and Sound Intensity on Human Performance as Measured by the Bicycle Erogmeter," Research_guarterly, 34: 484-488, 1963. Sears, William W} "Postural Responses to Recorded Music," Music Therapy 1951; Book of Proceedings for the National Association for Music Therapy, 1: 197-198. Seybold, Charles D. "The Value and Use of Music Activities in the Treatment of Speech Delayed Children," Journal of Music Therapy, 8: 102—110, Fall. Tisdale, Hope. "Some Evidence of the Value of a Thera— peutic Program," Research Quarterly, 5: 56—60, October. Walker, John B. "The Use of Music as an Aid in De- veloping Functional Speech in the Institutional- ized Mentally Retarded," Journal of Music Therapy, 9: l-ll, Spring. Albums and Music Books Alley Cat and Chicken Fat. ‘WOnderland Golden Records. LP 281. Explorinngusicgg. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., New York, 1971. 129. Explorinngusicy Kindergarten. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., New York, 1971. 15. Jonathan Livingston Seagpll. Columbia Records. LP K832550. 76 Motion Picture Themes. United Artists Records, Inc. UXS-89. Muppet Alphabet Album Starrinngim Henson's Muppets from Sesame St. LP CC25503 XSM 155263. Postural Improvement Activities for all Ages. Educa- tional Activities, Inc., Album 25. 1964. Saint-Saens Carnival of Animals. RCA LP LSC—2596. This Is Music, Grade Four. Allyn and Bacon, Chicago, Illinois, 1961. 154. This Is Music, Grade Three. Allyn and Bacon, Chicago, Illinois, 1961. 156. APPENDIX A RAW DATA DESCRIPTIVE DATA OF EACH SUBJECT 78 Level of Subject Group Sex Age Functioning Pre Post Change 1 II M 18 l 437 471 34 2 I M 17 3 373 379 6 3 I M 17 3 418 432 14 4 I M 16 2 396 421 25 5 II F 16 1 444 471 27 6 II F 15 l 424 458 34 7 I F 16 2 416 448 32 10 II F 18 2 423 427 4 11 II M 21 3 399 414 15 12 II M 16 1 421 461 40 13 II M 18 l 451 431 -20 14 I M 19 3 404 426 22 15 I M 17 2 457 461 4 18 I M 15 l 474 453 -21 19 I M 16 1 431 446 15 20 II M 16 3 456 459 3 21 II M 18 l 432 445 13 22 I M 15 l 444 460 16 Group I = Control group (nonmusic) Group II= Experimental group (music) Level of Functioning: l = high 2 = medium 3 = low 79 SUBJECT SCORES ON PRE- AND POSTTEST BY RATER t _ Subject No. Pretest Posttest Change Score Rater No. l 73 87 14 1 88 89 1 2 91 98 7 3 94 95 l 4 91 102 11 5 2 62 70 8 l 76 72 -4 2 80 75 -5 3 77 76 -l 4 78 86 8 5 3 73 79 6 l 89 83 -6 2 81 83 2 3 89 92 3 4 86 95 9 5 4 73 81 8 1 77 80 3 2 83 82 -1 3 88 85 -3 4 75 93 18 5 5 85 92 7 l 94 97 3 2 87 94 7 3 89 90 l 4 89 98 9 5 6 79 86 7 1 84 87 3 2 85 90 5 3 87 93 6 4 88 102 14 5 80 _— Subject No. Pretest Posttest Change Score Rater No. 7 76 87 ll 1 83 88 5 2 80 85 5 3 84 9O 6 4 93 98 5 5 10 74 82 8 l 84 80 4 2 85 83 -2 3 88 86 —2 4 92 96 4 5 ll 76 77 1 l 79 82 3 2 79 75 -4 3 82 85 3 4 83 95 13 5 12 76 85 9 l 85 96 9 2 87 9O 3 3 88 90 2 4 85 100 15 5 13 86 84 —2 l 88 84 -4 2 92 79 —13 3 92 86 -6 4 93 98 5 5 14 79 82 3 1 75 81 6 2 77 84 7 3 85 86 l 4 88 93 5 5 15 92 88 —4 l 96 92 —4 2 89 89 O 3 93 91 -2 4 87 101 14 5 81 Subject No. Pretest Posttest Change Score Rater No. 18 88 81 -7 1 98 91 —7 2 94 9O -4 3 100 92 —8 4 96 99 3 5 19 8O 87 7 l 90 82 -8 2 87 91 4 3 88 87 -1 4 86 99 13 5 20 81 86 5 l 91 86 -5 2 92 95 3 3 97 90 —7 4 95 102 7 5 21 81 85 4 1 82 78 -4 2 84 92 8 3 90 93 3 4 94 97 3 5 22 85 86 l l 87 88 l 2 9O 93 3 3 92 92 0 4 90 101 ll 5 APPENDIX B P OST URAL EVALUAT ION Def in it ion and Forms 83 POSTURAL RATING The Postural Rating is an instrument developed by the experimenter from research in the area of the "ideal" standing posture. It is used to evaluate the standing posture of the twenty-two subjects in the study. This examination was carried out both pre- and posttest by five adjudicators for each of the sub- jects. The examination is comprised of a postural rating form and score sheet. The forms were adopted and modified from ideas and forms of Drury (1970, 2- 13), Phelps (1956, 56-138), Colson (1956, 3-20), Truslow (1943, 12—124), Lowman (1960, 136-165) and Baumgartner (1943, 1-31). 84 POSTURAL RATING Posterior View Upper Body Head tilt: In good posture the head should be evenly balanced on the shoulders at a 900 angle. Such posture should be given a rating of 4. Any devia- tion in this angle will result in a lowered rating. If the deviation is slight (10 to 220 of tilt) a rating of 3 should be given. A moderate tilt (23° to 45° of tilt) will re- sult in a rating of 2. Severe tilt— ing (460 to 680 of tilt) should be assigned a rating of 1. Rating a. Head evenly balanced on the shoulders (0° tilt) 4 b. Slight tilting to either side (1° to 22° of tilt) 3 c. Moderate tilting to either side (230 to 450 of tilt) 2 d. Severe tilting to either side (460 to 680 of tilt) 1 Shoulders: 1. Level: In good posture the right and left shoulders should be of comparable height. The differences in height should be noted. Shoulders at a comparable level should re- ceive a rating of 4. A slight difference should be assigned a 3 rating, a moderate difference should receive a 2 rating and a severe difference should be given a 1 rating. Shoulders of comparative height Slight difference in shoulder height Moderate difference in shoulder height Severe difference in shoulder height mogul I—Iwwb Depression: In good posture the shoulders should be relaxed and at an average eleva- tion. A depression or lowering of the shoulders gives the impression of an ex- tremely long neck. lated and Shoulders Shoulders Shoulders Shoulders Elevation: recorded. A subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation should be formu- do not appear low appear slightly low appear moderately low appear severely low An elevation or raising of the shoulders gives the appearance of an exe tremely short neck or a "shrugged shoulder" effect. A subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation should be formulated and recorded. Shoulders Shoulders Shoulders Shoulders Middle Body Hips lo a. b. c. d. Prominence: be even. do not appear high appear slightly high appear moderately high appear severely high The contour of the hips should Sometimes it is easy to judge con— tour by the amount of light seen between the arms and the sides of the body. tions in the contour or size of the hips recorded. should be noted and Contour of the hips Contour of the hips Contour of Contour of Elevation: the hips the hips Inevaluating hip elevation it is necessary to note the balance of the hips. Determine whether or not the hips are at the is is is is even slightly uneven moderately uneven severely uneven Any devia- 85 Rating 4 3 2 l l-‘NWrP- www.12- 86 same level and then evaluate the deviation. Hips at a comparable level should receive a rating of 4. A slight difference should be assigned a 3 rating, a moderate difference a 2 rating and a severe difference should be given a 1 rating. Rating a. Elevation of the hips is even 4 b. Elevation of the hips is slightly uneven 3 c. Elevation of the hips is moderately uneven 2 d. Elevation of the hips is severely uneven 1 Lower Body Ankles l. Pronation: Pronation is a rolling inward of the ankle, causing lowering of the longi— tudinal arch. A subjective evaluation of the degree of pronation should be formulated and recorded. a. No Visible pronation 4 b. Slight pronation 3 c. Moderate pronation 2 d. Severe pronation l 2. Toeing in: When standing with good posture the feet should be pointing directly ahead. Any deviation of the angle of the toes should be noted. When the feet are pointing di— rectly ahead (90° angle) a rating of 4 should be given. If the deviation is slight (1° to 12°) a rating of 3 should be given. If the deviation is moderate (120 to 23°) a rating of 2 should be given and severe toeing in (23° to 45°)should be assigned a rating of l. a. No toeing in 4 b. Slight toeing in 3 c. Moderate toeing in 2 d. Severe toeing in l 87 3. Toeing out: When the feet are pointing di- rectly ahead a rating of 4 should be given. If the deviation is slight (1° to 12°) a rating of 3 should be given. A moderate toe— ing out (12° to 23°) should result in a rating of 2 and severe toeing out (23° to 45°) should be assigned a rating of 1. Rating a. No toeing out 4 b. Slight toeing out 3 c. Moderate toeing out 2 d. Severe toeing out 1 BENT VIEW Middle Body Spine 1. Dorsal Scoliosis: Dorsal Scoliosis is a curvature of the Spine to the side in the area of the rib cage. In the bent position any unevenness of the sides of the spine can be noted by a bulging of the muscles on that side. A subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation should be formulated and re- corded. a. No visible dorsal scoliosis b. Slight dorsal scoliosis c. Moderate dorsal scoliosis d. Severe dorsal scoliosis l-‘NLaolb 2. Lumbar Scoliosis: Lumbar Scoliosis is a curvature of the Spine to the Side in the area of the low back. Again in the bent po- sition any unevenness of the sides of the Spine can be noted by a bulging of the muscles on that side. A subjective evalu- ation of the degree of deviation Should be formulated and recorded. 88 Rating a. No visible lumbar scoliosis 4 b. Slight lumbar scoliosis 3 c. Moderate lumbar scoliosis 2 d. Severe lumbar scoliosis l IEG VIEW Lower Body Legs 1. Genu valgum (Knock—knees): The condition is present when the standing subject is able to bring his knees together, but is unable to make the inner ankle bones come together. A subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation should be formulated and recorded. a. No visible problem 4 b. Slight problem 3 c. Moderate problem 2 d. Severe problem 1 2. Genu varum (Bowlegs): The condition is present when the standing subject is able to bring his ankles together, but unable to make the knees come together. A subjective evalu- ation of the degree of deviation should be formulated and recorded. a. No visible problem 4 b. Slight problem 3 c. Moderate problem 2 d. Severe problem 1 ANTERIOR-POSTERIOR VIEW Upper Body To judge posture from the anterior—posterior view (side view) consider an imaginary gravity line 89 from the ear, through the middle of the hips, in back of the kneecap and in front of the ankle bone. Deviations forward and back are judged in rela- tionship to this gravity line. Head: To judge the position of the head imagine a line from the ear to the middle of the Shoulder. If the line is slanted to the left the head is too far forward, if slanted to the right the head is too far back. A subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation should be formulated and recorded. Rating 1. Forward a. No visible problem 4 b. Slight problem 3 c. Moderate problem 2 d. Severe problem 1 2. Back a. No visible problem 4 b. Slight problem 3 c. Moderate problem 2 d. Severe problem 1 Another indication of incorrect position- ing of the head is the degree of tilt of the chin. When the head is in good posi— tion the chin will be relaxed and at a 900 angle to the neck. Incorrect position- ing will result in the chin tilting up or down. The chin tilt should be subjectively evaluated and the degree of deviation from the ideal should be formulated and recorded. 3. Chin/tilt up a. No visible tilt b. Slight tilt c. Moderate tilt d. Severe tilt F‘N(»vb 90 Rating 4. Chin/tilt down a. No visible tilt 4 b. Slight tilt 3 c. Moderate tilt 2 d. Severe tilt 1 Chest: In good posture the breast bone (sternum) should be held high. A low chest has a sunken-in look with a rounding of the shoulders. A chest that is too high has an inflated look with the shoulders too high and/or too far back. A subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation from good posture should be formulated and recorded. 1. Low a. Chest does not appear low 4 b. Chest appears slightly low 3 c. Chest appears moderately low 2 d. Chest appears severely low 1 2. High a. Chest does not appear high 4 b. Chest appears slightly high 3 c. Chest appears moderately high 2 d. Chest appears severely high 1 Arms: In good posture the arms should be re- laxed and hang freely at the subject's sides. The area from the shoulder to the elbow should be in line with the imaginary gravity line from the ear, through the middle of the hip, in back of the kneecap, and in front of the ankle bone. A subjec- tive evaluation of the degree of deviation from good posture Should be formulated and recorded. a. b. c. d. Arms/forward Arms Arms Arms Arms do not appear appear appear Arms/back Arms Arms Arms Arms do not appear appear appear Middle Body appear forward slightly forward moderately forward severely forward appear back Slightly back moderately back severely back 91 Rating l-‘NUJ-P #4wa Abdomen: In good posture the abdomen should not be absolutely flat, however, a rounding of the abdomen with protrusion of the abdominal muscles Should be noted. subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation from good posture should be formulated and recorded. a. Abdomen does not appear relaxed b. Abdomen appears slightly relaxed c. Abdomen appears moderately relaxed d. Abdomen appears severely relaxed Pelvic tilt: a. b. c. d. l-‘anb In good posture the anterior superi- or Spine of the iluim (the bones in front of the hip) are more or less horizontal. If these bones are pointing downward a subjective evalu- ation of the downward tilt Should be Pelvis Pelvis Pelvis Pelvis formulated and recorded. does not appear tilted appears slightly tilted appears moderately tilted appears severely tilted l—‘NUJuh 92 Rat ing Lower Body Knees/hyperextension: Hyperextension of the knees occurs when the knees are pushed backward so that the calf of the leg is bowed backward instead of being more or less horizontal. A subjective evaluation of the degree of deviation from good posture should be formulated and recorded. a. No visible hyperextension 4 b. Slight hyperextension 3 c. Moderate hyperextension 2 d. Severe hyperextension l Feet/balance: To judge the balance of a subject, refer to the imaginary gravity line and note whether the body is forward or back from this line. If the body is forward, too much weight is placed on the forepart of the foot; if it is backward, the weight is on the heels. The weight should be placed in the middle of the foot, just in front of the ankle bone. 1. Balance/forward a. No visible problem 4 b. Slight problem 3 c. Moderate problem 2 d. Severe problem 1 2. Balance/back a. No visible problem 4 b. Slight problem 3 c. Moderate problem 2 d. Severe problem 1 SCORE SHEET NAME SUBJECT # AGE SEX LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING 93 OBSERVATION # RATING SCALE: 4 = No Deviation, 3 = Slight Deviation, 2 Deviation, l = Severe Deviation POSTERIOR VIEW Upper Body Rating Head Tilt 4 3 2 1 Shoulders 1. Level 4 3 2 1 2. Depression 4 3 2 l 3. Elevation 4 3 2 1 Middle Body Hips l. Prominence 4 3 2 1 2. Elevation 4 3 2 1 Lower Body Ankles l. Pronation 4 3 2 l 2. Toeing in 4 3 2 1 3. Toeing out 4 3 2 l BENT leg Middle Body Spine 1. Dorsal Scoliosis 4 3 2 1 2. Lumbar Scoliosis 4 3 2 l = Moderate 94 LEG VIEW Lower Body Legs Rating 1. Knock—knees 4 3 2 l 2. Bowlegs 4 3 2 l ANTERIOR—POSTERIOR VIEW Upper Body Rating Head 1. Forward 4 3 2 l 2. Back 4 3 2 1 3. Chin/tilt up 4 3 2 l 4. Chin/tilt down 4 3 2 1 Chest 1. Low 4 3 2 l 2. High 4 3 2 1 3. Arms/forward 4 3 2 1 4. Arms/back 4 3 2 1 Middle Body Abdomen/relaxed 4 3 2 l Pelvic Tilt 4 3 2 1 Lower Body Knees/hyperextension 4 3 2 1 Feet 1. Balance/forward 4 3 2 l 2. Balance/back 4 3 2 l POSTERIOR VIEW BENT VIEW’ ANTERIOR-POSTERIOR Upper Body Middle Body Upper Body Middle Body Total Middle Body Lower Body Lower Body IEG VIEW Total Total Lower Body 1 1 Total GRAND TOTAL APPENDIX C POSTURAL TRAINING PRQERAM Definition, Order of Activities, Activities 96 POSTURAL TRAINING PROGRAM The Postural Training Program is a series of exercises/activities developed by the experimenter to help retarded children improve their posture. The program was developed through research in the areas of "ideal" standing posture, postural defects and corrective exercises. The program was set up to in- clude both exercises/activities for remediating prob- lem areas and exercises/activities for developing an awareness of good posture and overall correct body positioning. The program was identical for both the control and the experimental group, with the excep- tion of the music used with the experimental group. Great care was taken to insure that the activities were identically presented to the two groups. The following pages contain the descriptions of the activities used in the Postural Training Pro- gram and the order in which they were presented. 97 POSTURAL TRAINING SESSIONS SESSION 1 Tuesdayy April 23 1 2. 3. 4. 5. Posture Talk walking Exercise If You're Happy Row, Row, Row Your Boat #1 Row, Row, Row Your Boat #2 SESSION 2 wednesday, April 24 bulk-3H O Toe Exercises Picking Up Pencils Posture Check If You're Happy SESSION 3 Thursday, April 25 UTIPUJNl—J o Posture Check Kangaroo Hop Snake walk Heel Bounce Circles in the Air SESSION 4 Tuesday, April 30 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Row, Row, Row Your Boat #2 I Used To Posture Hokey Pokey Circles in the Air Kangaroo Hop SESSION 5 wednesdav. MHZ 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Toe Exercises Picking Up Pencils Posture Check Snake walk Elephant Walk 98 SESSION 6 Thursday, Mayyz UPLUNI'" coo Heel Bounce Walking Exercise If You're Happy Posture Check SESSION 7 Tuesday, May 7 Row, Row, Row Your Boat #1 Picking Up Pencils Posture Check with Photographs (same as posture check but photographs are taken of each subject in his best standing posture) Elephant walk SESSION 8 Wednesday, May 8 I Used To Kangaroo Hop Heel Bounces Posture Hokey Pokey Walking Exercise SESSION 9 ThursdayyyMay 9 WDWNH O Toe Exercises Snake walk If You're Happy Posture Check Circles in the Air SESSION 10 Tuesday, May 14 1. 2. 3. 4. Subjects given posture photographs Posture Check If You're Happy Elephant Walk SESSION 11 Wednesdayeray 15 111-8me Posture Check Posture Hokey Pokey Row, Row, Row Your Boat #2 Picking Up Pencils Circles in the Air SESSION 12 ThursdayJ May 16 l. 2. 3. 4. Posture Check Snake walk Walking Exercise I Used To 99 100 P OSTU'RE TALK PURPOSE: To introduce the subjects to the concept of posture DIRECI' IONS : WITHOUT MUSIC 1. Subjects Sit on the floor in a circle. 2. Experimenter stands in the middle of the circle and gives a Short talk on posture. 3. While giving the talk the experimenter demonstrates correct posture. 4. The text to the posture talk is as follows: Posture is a word that tells about how our bodies look to ourselves and others. For the next four weeks we will be learning about good posture. Good posture helps our bodies look good and helps us to feel good. Right now I am standing in good pos- ture: my feet are pointing straight ahead and are a few inches apart; my legs are straight; my stomach is in; my chest is high (but not too high); my shoulders are back and my head is straight, not tilted. You will soon learn how to stand in good posture, too. EQUIPMENT: None DIRECTIONS: WITH.MUSIC 1. AS the subjects come into the room the song "Chicken Fat” is playing at a very low volume. EQUIPMENT: 101 2. Subjects sit on the floor in a circle. 3. Experimenter stands in the middle of the circle and gives a short talk on posture. 4. While giving the talk the experimenter demonstrates correct posture. 5. The text of the posture talk is the same as above. Phonograph Song: "Chicken Fat" from Alley Cat and Chicken Fat. WOnderland Golden Records. LP—281. 102 WALKING EXERCISE PURPOSE: To develop the consciousness of the correct position of the foot. ADAPTED FROM: Josephine. Postural Improvement Activities for all AgesyyAlbum 25. Educational Activi— ties, Geiger, Jacob D and Christaldi, Inc., Freeport, New York, 1964. DIRECTIONS: WITHOUT MUSIC Subjects are barefoot, standing in a circle. Feet are parallel, a few inches apart. At a signal subjects rise on their toes as high as possible. At the next signal the subjects begin walking counter—clockwise around the circle on their toes. After three times around the circle the subjects are instructed to stop, curl their toes and roll their weight to the outer borders of their feet. At a Signal the subjects begin walk- ing around the circle on the outer borders of their feet, with their toes curled under. After three times around the circle a signal is given for the subjects to stop, place one heel forward in readi- ness to walk forward on their heels. At the signal the subjects begin walkr ing around the circle on their heels. EQUIPMENT: None 10. 11. 103 After three times around the circle a signal is given for the subjects to stop, stand with their feet parallel, a few inches apart. At the signal the subjects are in- structed to walk normally around the circles concentrating on holding their bodies erect. After three times around the circle a signal is given for all the sub- jects to stop. DIRECI‘ IONS : WITH MUSIC Subjects are barefoot, standing in a circle. Feet are parallel, a few inches apart. At a signal subjects rise on their toes as high as possible. At the next signal the subjects begin walking counterclockwise around the circle on their toes. After three times around the circle the subjects are instructed to stop, curl their toes and roll their weight to the outer borders of their feet. At a signal the subjects begin walk- ing around the circle on the outer borders of their feet, with their toes curled under. After three times around the circle a signal is given for the subjects to stop, place one heel forward in readi— ness to walk forward on their heels. 104 8. At the signal the subjects begin walk- ing around the circle on their heels. 9. After three times around the circle a signal is given for the subjects to stop, stand with their feet parallel, a few inches apart. 10. At the signal the subjects are in— structed to walk normally around the circle concentrating on holding their bodies erect. 11. After three times around the circle a signal is given for all the subjects to stop. 12. The exercise is done to the music of "Chicken Fat." EQUIPMENT: Phonograph Song: "Chicken Fat" from Alley Cat and Chicken Fat. Wonderland Golden Records. LP 281. 105 IF YOU 'RE HAPPY PURPOSE: To strengthen abdominal muscles ADAPTED FROM: Drury, Blanche J. Posture and Figure Control Through Physical Education. National Press, Palo Alto, California, 1 970. p. 56. DIRECTIONS: EQUIPMENT : 6. None WITHOUT MUS I C Subjects are barefoot, lying on their backs, knees pointed toward the ceil- ing, legs extended, arms extended at a 45° angle with the body. In response to the words, "If you're happy and you know it, raise your legs," the subjects raise their legs until they are extended at a 90° angle to the body. In reSponse to the words, "If you're happy and you know it, spread your legs," the subjects extend their legs Sideward as far as possible. In response to the words, "If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely Show it,“ subjects con— tinue to hold the spread leg position. In response to words, "If you're happy and you know it, lower your legs," subjects bring legs together and Slowly lower them to the floor. This exercise is repeated three times. DIRECT IONS : EQUIPMENT : 106 WTTH.MUSIC Subjects are barefoot, lying on their backs, knees pointed toward the ceil- ing, legs extended, arms extended at a 45° angle with the body. In response to the words, "If you're happy and you know it, raise your legs," the subjects raise their legs until they are extended at a 90° angle to the body. In response to the words, "If you're happy and you know it, spread your legs," the subjects extend their legs Sideward as far as possible. In response to the words, "If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely Show it," subjects con- tinue to hold the spread leg position. In response to the words, "If you're happy and you know it, lower your legs," subjects bring legs together and slowly lower them to the floor. This exercise is repeated three times and sung to the tune of "If You're Happy." Music: "If You're Happy," This Is Music, Grade 3. Allyn and Bacon, Chicago, Illinois, 1961. p. 156. 107 ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT #1 PURPOSE: To stretch posterior muscles ADAPTED FROM: Drury, Blanche J. Posture and Fiqgge Control Through Physical Education. National Press, Palo Alto, California, 1970. p. 46. DIRECTIONS: WITHOUT MUSIC 1. Partners of approximately the same height and weight sit on floor facing each other. 2. Legs are straight and Spread with feet touching the soles of their partner's feet. 3. Partners grasp hands, partner A lean— ing backward pulls partner B forward as far as possible. 4. Partners then reverse, partner B leans backwards pulling partner A forward as far as possible. 5. Exercise is repeated 24 times; each repetition is composed of each partner leaning back once and being pulled forward once. EQUIPMENT: None D IRE CT IONS : WITH MUS I C 1. Partners of approximately the same height and weight sit on floor facing each other. EQUIPMENT ': 108 Legs are straight and spread with feet touching the soles of their partner's feet. Partners grasp hands, partner A lean- ing backward pulls partner B forward as far as possible. Partners then reverse, partner B leans backwards pulling partner A forward as far as possible. Exercise is repeated 24 times; each repetition is composed of each partner leaning back once and being pulled forward once. Exercise is performed in time to the song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" Song: "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat" Explor- inngusic 2. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, 1971, p. 129. 109 ROW, ROWL ROW YOUR BOAT #2 PURPOSE: To stretch posterior muscles ADAPTED FROM: Drury, Blanche J. Posture and Figure Control Through Physical Education. National Press, Palo Alto, California, 1970. p. 46. DIRECTIONS: EQUIPMENT: None WITHOUT MUSIC Partners of approximately the same height and weight sit on floor facing each other. Legs are straight and spread with feet touching the soles of their partner's feet. Partners grasp hands, keeping knees straight, bend to the side, to the back, to the other side, and forward. Partner moves in opposition so that both describe circles with their trunks. Pattern is repeated 16 times. DIRECTIONS: WITH.MUSIC Partners of approximately the same height and weight sit on floor facing each other. Legs are straight and spread with feet touching the soles of their partner's feet. 110 3. Partners grasp hands, keeping knees straight, bend to the side, to the back, to the other side, and forward. Partner moves in opposition so that both describe circles with their trunks. 4. Pattern is repeated 16 times to the song, ”Row, Row, Row Your Boat." EQUIPMENT: Song: "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat," Exploring Music 2. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., New York, 1971. p. 129. lll TOE EXERCISES PURPOSE: To strengthen toe flexors DIRECTIONS: EQUIPMENT : WITHOUT MUS I C 1. Sit on chair, legs crossed at the knees. 2. Curl toes of top leg, hold, then re- lease. 3. Exercise is performed to the following count: 1 2 3 4 curl hold release ---- 4. Entire sequence is repeated eight times. 5. Repeat with other leg None DIRECTIONS: WITH MUSIC Sit on chair, legs crossed at the knees. Curl toes of top leg, hold, then re— lease. - Exercise is performed to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" as follows: 1 2 3 4 l 2 3 Ma - ry had a lit " tle lamb curl hold release curl hold release 4 4. 112 1 2 3 4 l 2 Lit — tle lamb —--- lit - tle curl hold release curl hold 3 4 lamb —-—— release 1 2 3 4 l 2 Ma — ry had a lit - tle curl hold release curl hold 3 4 lamb it's release 1 2 3 4 l 2 3 4 fleece was white as snow ------------- curl hold release curl hold release Repeat with other leg. EQUIPMENT: Song: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" 113 PICKING UP PENCILS PURPOSE: To strengthen toe flexors D IRE CT IONS : WITHOUT MUS I C 1. Sit on chair. 2. Using toes of right foot, pick up pen- cil. 3. Lift pencil to opposite hand. 4. Repeat 7 times. 5. Repeat entire exercise with other foot. EQUIPMENT: One pencil per student D IRECI‘ IONS : WITH MUS I C 1. Sit on chair. 2. Using toes of right foot, pick up pencil (*). 3. Lift pencil to opposite hand (-). 4. Exercise is done to the tune of "Ten Little Indians" as follows: One little Two little * ... Three little Indians '1: _ Four little Five little * _ Six little Indians * _ EQUIPMENT : 5. 114 Seven little Eight little * _ Nine little Indians * _ Ten little Indian Boys * * Repeat entire exercise with other foot. One pencil per student Song: "Ten Little Indians" 115 POSTURE CHECK PURPOSE: To help subjects become more aware of good standing posture DIRECTIONS: EQUIPMENT: WITHOUT MUSIC 1. Subjects' are divided into two groups. 2. Group I is instructed to walk around the room. 3. At the signal the subjects' stop, as- sume correct standing posture and are checked by the researcher and the sub- jects in Group II. 4. The exercise is repeated so that each group has its posture checked 3 times. 5. For correct standing posture see the definition on page 11 of this study. None DIRECTIONS: WITH.MUSIC Subjects' are divided into two groups. Group I is instructed to walk around the room in time to the music. At the Signal the subjects' stop, as- sume correct standing posture and are checked by the researcher and the sub- jects in Group II. The exercise is repeated so that each group has its posture checked 3 times. 116 5. For correct standing posture see the definition on page 11 of this study. 6. This exercise is performed to the music "Skybird." EQUIPMENT: Phonograph Song: "Skybird," Jonathan Livingston Sea- gull. Columbia Records. LP KS32550. 117 KANGAROO HOP PURPOSE: To stretch pectoral muscles which are tight in children with winged scapulae ADAPTED FROM : Richardson, Frank H. and Hearn, Wini- fred J. The Pre-School Child and His Posture. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1970. p. 145. DIRECTIONS : WITHOUT MUSIC 1. Subject holds up one leg behind his back by grasping the ankle with both hands. 2. Subject is instructed to pretend he is a kangaroo and to hop around the room. 3. The activity should last about 3 minutes. EQUIPMENT: None DIRECTIONS : WITH MUSIC 1. Subject holds up one leg behind his back by grasping the ankle with both hands. 2. Subject is instructed to pretend he is a kangaroo and to hop around the room. 3. The activity should be performed in time to the music "Kangaroos." EQUIPMENT: Phonograph Song: "Kangaroos," Saint—Saens Carnival of Animals. RCA LP LSC-2596. 118 SNAKE WALK PURPOSE: To strengthen abdominal muscles ADAPTED FROM: Richardson, Frank H. The Pre—School Child and His Posture. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1930. p. 128. DIRECTIONS : WITHOUT MUS I C Subject lies face down on the floor with hands clasped behind his back and his head up. Through wriggling and hissing the sub- ject tries to imitate a snake progress- ing across the room. Activity should continue for about 3 minutes. EQUIPMENT : None DIRECTIONS: WITH.MUSIC 1. Subject lies face down on the floor with hands clasped behind his back and his head up. 2. Through wriggling and hissing the sub- ject tries to imitate a snake progress- ing across the room. 3. Activity is performed to the song "Sammy the Snake." EQUIPMENT: Phonograph Song: "Sammy the Snake," Muppet Alphabet Album Starring Jim Henson's Muppets from Sesame St. LP CC25503 XS! 155263. 119 HEEL BOUNCE PURPOSE: To stretch achilles tendon ADAPTED FROM : Drury, Blanche J. Posture and Figure Control Thropgh Physical Education. National Press, Palo Alto, California, 1970. p. 44. DIRECTIONS: WITHOUT MUSIC 1. Stand, hands on hips, trunk erect, feet parallel about 4 inches apart. 2. Keeping knees straight, lift heels from floor and replace. 3. Be sure that the heels touch the floor each time and that the movement is done rather quickly. 4. Exercise is done to the following pattern: 1 2 3 pause. 5. Repeat pattern 16 times, then rest for 60 beats, repeat entire sequence three times. EQUIPMENT : None DIRECTIONS : WITH MUSIC 1. Stand, hands on hips, trunk erect, feet parallel about 4 inches apart. 2. Keeping knees straight, lift heels from floor and replace. 3. Be sure that the heels touch the floor each time and that the movement is done rather quickly. EQUIPMENT : 120 4. Exercise is done to the following pattern: 1 2 3 pause. 5. Repeat pattern 16 times in time to the music "Theme from Shaft," then rest for 60 beats, repeat entire se- quence three times. Phonograph Song: "Theme from 'Shaft'," Motion Pic- ture Themes. United Artists Rec- ords, Inc. UXS—89. 121 CIRCLES IN THE AIR PURPOSE: To strengthen shoulder and scapulae muscles ADAPTED FROM: Drury, Blanche J. Posture andgFigure Control Through Physical Education. National Press, Palo Alto, California, 1970. p. 63. DIRECTIONS : WITHOUT MUSIC 1. Subject sits cross-legged on the floor, head in good position, arms horizontal at sides. 2. Describe small circles with arms mov- ing forward, upward, backward and down- ward. 3. Describe large circles with arms mov— ing forward, upward, backward and downward. 4. Vary between fast small circles and slow large circles. 5. Describe circles while reciting the verse "Circles in the Air" as follows: "Circles in the Air" Let's make circles in the air in the air. Let's make circles in the air in the air. Let's make circles in the air, let's make them everywhere. Let's make circles in the air, in the air. 6. Repeat the verse three times. 122 EQUIPMENT: None DIRECT IONS : WITH MUS IC 1. Subject sits cross-legged on floor, head in good position, arms horizontal at Sides. 2. Describe small circles with arms mov- ing forward, upward, backward and down- ward. 3. Describe large circles with arms mov- ing forward, upward, backward and down- ward. 4. Vary between fast small circles and slow large circles. 5. Describe circles while reciting the above verse to the tune of "She'll Be Comin"Round the Mountain" 6. Repeat the song three times. EQUIPMENT: Song: "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain," This Is Mpsic, Grade 4. Allyn and Bacon, Chicago, Illinois, 1961. p. 154. 123 I USED TO PURPOSE: To help subjects become more aware of good posture and to learn to assume good stand- ing posture quickly DIRECTIONS WITHOUT MUSIC One of the subjects is selected to be "it . II He decides by himself, or with coach- ing from the group or the therapist, which body part he wants to use to demonstrate good posture. At a signal the group recites the poem, "I Used To." At the blank the subject inserts his choice of body parts and stands in his worst pos- sible posture. At the last line the subject assumes his best posture demonstrating the correct positioning of the body part he has chosen. The poem is repeated until all sub- jects have had a chance to be "it." The poem is as follows: "I Used To" "I used to stand with my like this my like this my like this I1 EQUIPMENT: None 124 I used to stand with my like this But look how I'm standing now." DIRECTIONS: EQUIPMENT: WITH.MUSIC One of the subjects is selected to be II it. II He decides by himself, or with coach- ing from the group or the therapist, which body part he wants to use to demonstrate good posture. At a signal the group sings the poem, "I Used To" to the tune of "The Wheels of the Bus." At the blank the sub- ject inserts his choice of body parts and stands in his worst possible pos- ture. At the last line the subject assumes his best posture demonstrating the correct positioning of the body part he has chosen. The song is repeated until all sub- jects have had a chance to be "it." Song: "The Wheels of the Busfl Exploring Musicy Kindergarten. Holt, Rine— hart and Winston, Inc., New York, 1971. p. 15. 125 POSTURE HOKEY POKEY PURPOSE: To develop an awareness of good posture and overall correct body positioning DIRECTIONS: verse 1 WITHOUT MUSIC Subjects stand barefoot in a circle directing their attention toward the center. Subjects follow directions explicit in the text. For example: You set your feet right (Subjects po- sition their feet in the "correct" postural stance; feet parallel, about 6 inches apart, toes point- ing straight ahead) You set your feet right (Subjects re- main in correct position) This activity is progressive. At the beginning of verse two subject assumes correct position for verse 1. At be- ginning of verse 3 subject assumes correct positions for verses l and 2. Etc. The text for the activity is as follows: "You set your feet right" (Subject assumes correct standing position) "You set your feet right" (Subject remains in correct standing position) "You set your feet right and stand up tall" (Subject remains in correct standing verse 2 verse 3 126 position and reaches upward with the crown of his head) "You do the hokey pokey and turn your- self around" (Subject slowly turns around in place snapping his fingers) "That's what it's all about" (Subject stands in correct standing position) "You set your knees right" (Subject assumes correct standing pos— ture; feet parallel, 6 inches apart, toes pointing straight ahead; knees straight, released not locked) "You set your knees right" (Directions the same as in verse 1) "You set your knees right and stand up tall" "You do the hokey pokey and turn your- self around" "That's what it's all about" "You set your hips straight" (Subject assumes correct standing po- sition; feet parallel, 6 inches apart, toes pointing straight ahead; knees straight, released not locked; contour and elevation of hips even) "You set your hips straight" (Directions the same as in verse 1) "You set your hips straight and you stand up tall" "You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around" "That's what it's all about" verse 4 verse 5 verse 6 127 "You hold your stomach in" (Subject assumes correct standing po- sition; feet parallel, 6 inches apart, toes pointing straight ahead; knees straight, released not locked; contour and elevation of hips even; stomach not protruding) "You hold your stomach in" "You hold your stomach in and stand up tall" "You do the hokey pokey and turn your- self around" "That's what it's all about" "You put your chest up" (Subject assumes correct standing po- sition; feet parallel, 6 inches apart, toes pointing straight ahead; knees straight, released not locked; contour and elevation of the hips even; stomach not protruding; chest held high, but not too high) "You put your chest up" "You put your chest up and stand up tall" "You do the hokey pokey and turn your- i self around" "That's what it's all about" "You keep your shoulders even" (Subject assumes correct standing po- sition; feet parallel, 6 inches apart, toes pointing straight ahead; knees straight, released not locked; contour and elevation of the hips even; stomach 128 not protruding; chest held high; shoulders relaxed and of a comparable height and elevation) "You keep your Shoulders even" "You keep your shoulders even and stand up tall" "You do the hokey pokey and turn your- self around" "That's what it's all about" verse 7 "You keep your head on straight" (Subject assumes correct standing po- sition; feet parallel, 6 inches apart, toes pointing straight ahead; knees straight, released not locked; contour and elevation of the hips even; stomach not protruding; chest held high; should- ers relaxed and of a comparable height and elevation; head evenly balanced on the Shoulders at a 90 degree angle. No tilting observed either to the side or to the front or back) "You keep your head on straight" "You keep your head on straight and stand up tall" "You do the hokey pokey and turn your— self around" "That's what it's all about" EQUIPMENT: None DIRECTIONS: WITH.MUSIC 1. Subjects stand barefoot in a circle directing their attention toward the center. 3“: T EQUIPMENT: 129 Subjects follow directions explicit in the text (see above directions) This activity is progressive. At the beginning of verse two subjects assume correct position for verse 1. At be- ginning of verse 3 subjects assume correct position for verses 1 and 2. Etc. The text for the activity is the same as above. The activity is done to the tune of "The Hokey Pokey" Song: "The Hokey Pokey," Alley Cat and Chicken Fat. Wonderland Records. LP 281. 130 ELEPHANT WALK PURPOSE: To stretch achilles tendon and other pos- terior muscles ADAPTED FROM: Richardson, Frank H. _The Pre-School Child and His Posture. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1930. p. 117. DIRECTIONS: WITHOUT MUSIC 1. Stand, trunk erect. 2. At signal bend over placing hands on floor. 3. Move in a "swaying" gait, first one side then the other. 4. Be careful to keep heels down. 5. Move around the room for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. EQUIPMENT: None DIRECTIONS: WITH MUSIC 1. Stand, trunk erect. 2. At signal bend over placing hands on floor. 3. Move in a "swaying" gait, first one side then the other. 4. Be careful to keep heels down. 5. Move around the room in time to "Ele- phants." EQUIPMENT: Phonograph Song: "Elephants" Saint—Saens Carnival of Animals. RCA LP LSC-2596. APPENDIX D ADJUDICATOR TRAINING PRQBRAM 132 ADJUDICATOR TRAINING PROGRAM AS the adjudicators met to rate the postural video—tapes of each subject they were given a copy of the Postural Rating and twenty-five score Sheets. Each adjudicator was asked to read through the rating form and to formulate a definition of how he would rate good standing posture. After each adjudicator had read the Postural Rating all questions were answered and the video-tapes of three practice sub- jects were shown. These video—tapes were stopped anytime any one of the adjudicators had a question. When the questions had been adequately answered the video—tape was begun again. After the video—tapes of the three practice subjects were shown and rated, and all questions were answered, the video-tape of Subject 1 was begun. After that time there was no discussion between the adjudicators or the researcher about the video-taped subjects or the postural ratings. MICHIGAN STATE UNIV. LIBRARIES llllllll 31293016920104