Abstract
This study investigated the effects of movement-based instruction on the achievement of first- and third-graders in selected listening skills. Sixty-one normal first-graders and 52 normal third-graders received a total of 12 instructional periods focusing on the concept areas of dynamics, tempo, melodic direction, meter, and rhythm. Each session was 30 minutes in length. While the lessons for both the control and experimental groups were based on the Silver Burdett Music (1981) series, the treatment received by the experimental group included the addition of psychomotor activities. The dependent variables were operationalized through five achievement subtests of aural perception-Dynamics, Tempo, Melodic Direction, Meter, and Rhythm. The data were analyzed through analysis of variance and analysis of covariance. The results indicated that movement-based instruction significantly affected achievement on the Dynamics test for the first-graders and Dynamics, Melodic Direction, and the Music Listening Composite measures for the third-graders.