Relationship between visual motor integration and academic performance in elementary school children

Objective: To assess the relationship between visual motor integration and academic performance in elementary school children. Method: A cross sectional study was undertaken on 208 children who were in second standard from government, government aided and private schools. The screening tools for excluding children with visual and auditory deficit, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Childhood psychiatric symptoms, learning disabilities, below average intelligence were administered. The primary measure of visual motor integration was obtained using Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI). The academic performance was calculated from the mean of all the subject marks scored in two consecutive exams and on teacher's perception on academic performance using a 100-point rating scale. Results & Conclusion: Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient test was used to analyze the correlation. It has shown that there is weak positive correlation found between visual motor integration and academic performance which would recommend the need for longitudinal study.