WO1999001853A1

WO1999001853A1 - Developmental or perceptual evaluation aid

Info

Publication number: WO1999001853A1
Application number: PCT/ZW1998/000008
Authority: WO
Inventors: Danie Frans Van Den Berg
Original assignee: Brighton, Barry, David
Priority date: 1997-07-03
Filing date: 1998-07-01
Publication date: 1999-01-14
Also published as: AU8415798A; WO1999001853A8

Abstract

An aid is provided for the development of persons, in particular children, or for the evaluation of the perceptivity of persons. The aid utilises a surface (1), generally provided on a mat or carpet, and wherein a series of positions (2) are demarcated on the surface such that a person can move between positions on a selective basis. Instructions conveniently in the form of visible instruction sheets (3) preferably supported on a stand (6) serve to indicate to a person a desired course of movement (7) through a series of positions. The positions are preferably located relative to each other in a grid-like relationship.

Description

DEVELOPMENTAL OR PERCEPTUAL EVALUATION AID

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a developmental or perceptual evaluation aid based on the ability of a person, generally a child, to interpret certain visual or audible instructions.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

New and interesting aids are always in demand for the purpose of teaching and therefore promoting the development of a child and also for assessing the child's ability to comprehend instructions given to it either audibly or visually.

By the same token the reaction of any person, whether a child or not, to instructions, can give a good indication as to the perceptual ability of the person.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of this invention to provide an aid which can be usefully employed to serve the aforesaid functions of developmental promotion and the assessment of perceptivity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention a developmental or perceptual evaluation aid comprises a surface having a series of positions demarcated thereon with the positions being located such that a person can move from any one of a plurality of the positions to at least two different adjacent positions, and a set of instructions adapted to be conveyed to a person utilising the surface either audibly or visually for directing the person to proceed from one position to another in a specified sequence.

Further features of the invention provide for the various positions to be optionally identifiable relative to other positions and more particularly- for- some positions to be associated with a particular colour whilst other positions are associated with other colours; for the positions to be indicated by means of circular coloured zones; and for the surface to be that of a mat or carpet either having the demarcations embodied therein or having demarcations in the form of zones of other sheet material, attached to the mat or carpet.

In a preferred form the positions are located relative to each other in a grid-like pattern with the columns and rows of positions numbering four in one particular case thereby providing 16 different positions.

Also, whilst the instructions may be in a form in which they can be conveyed to a person orally, such as instructions to proceed one position to the left, right, or straight ahead, or to the nearest zone of a particular colour, one preferred form of instruction is a visual form. In the latter form the instructions can indicate a series of positions located on an instruction sheet in the same format as the circular zones with lines or other indicia indicating a sequence in which a person is to proceed from one position to another in a series of movements. A full set of such instructions may comprise 10 or even 20 different instruction sheets depicting different sequences in which a person is to proceed from one position to a final position. These sheets can conveniently be carried on an upstanding frame or stand in a manner of a flip chart so that one sheet can be exposed at a time. Conveniently the instruction sheets have holes which receive rings passing therethrough for supporting them very much in the manner of a file.

In one convenient form of the invention the surface is that of a mat made of suitable synthetic resinous material such as heavy duty plastics material and wherein the positions are defined by circles of a similar material secured to the mat, optionally by means of adhesive or even heat or ultrasonic welding.

The aid may also include other planar articles which may be located on said positions, such articles serving to extend the type of instruction which can be conveyed to a person. Such articles include, by way of example, additional circles, squares, triangles, arrows, letters, mathematical signs, impressions of hands and/or feet, all of which can conveniently be die cut from suitable sheet material, conveniently plastics material. ln order that the invention may be more fully understood one embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:-

FIG.1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a mat forming part of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG.2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a stand with a series of instruction sheets for use in combination with the mat of Figure 1 ; and,

FIG.3 illustrates in plan view a series of optional articles scattered relative to each other and which can be used in conjunction with the mat of Figure 1 as and when required.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

In one embodiment of the invention, the developmental and perceptual evaluation aid includes a substantially rectangular mat (1) (illustrated in Figure 1) of heavy duty plastics material and to which a plurality of circular sheets (2) of a similar heavy duty plastics materiaTare thermally secured to define a series of positions in a regular grid-like pattern comprising four rows of four positions each.

The circular sheets may be ail of the same colour, which in any event will contrast with the coiour of the mat itself, but may also be of different colours. In the case of the mat illustrated in Figure 1 some of the circular sheets are of different colours and, simply by way of example, the sheets indicated by numeral (2a) are of red; (2b) are of blue; (2c) are of green; (2d) are of purple and (2e) are of grey/silver.

It will be clear that a person, in particular a child, can be instructed to proceed from one position to another according to direction or according to coiour or could be instructed to move from one position to another in a predetermined sequence.

More particularly the sequence could be included in an instruction sheet depicting the layout of the mat. Such an instruction sheet (3) is illustrated in Figure 2 in which case the instruction sheet forms part of a series thereof suspended at their upper edges (4) from a pair of rings (5) at the upper end of a stand (6). Lines (7), optionally with arrowheads indicate the route which a person must take over the mat in order to occupy each position in sequence.

It will be understood that by selecting suitable routes on the instruction sheets various developmental and perceptual abilities of a person can be taught and assessed. Furthermore, by introducing the factor of coiour into the instructions, such as proceed to the next or nearest red circle, other abilities can be taught and assessed.

in order to extend the versatility of the aid described above various optional planar objects can be provided for use in conjunction therewith, and these objects, usually die cut from similar plastics sheet material, are illustrated in Figure 3. The objects may include other circles (8), squares (9), triangles (10), rectangles (11), elongate sheets (12), simulated feet (13) and hands (14) as well as a curved arrow (15) and straight arrow (16) in addition to a piece of string (17). Mathematical symbols, such as a dividing sign (18), multiplication sign (19), addition sign (20), minus sign (21), and "greater than" or "less than" sign (22) can all form part of a set of accessories to be used in conjunction with the mat.

Thus as an extension to the use of the mat described above different instructions may be devised by a supervisor for locating one or more of the articles illustrated in Figure 3 in different circles in order to achieve desired objectives. Instructions may also be issued for a person to place a foot or hand, or both on an appropriate circle. Also because of the flexibility of the material of the mat it may be folded onto itself or folded over at its corners in order to obscure some of the circles and hence allow for further appropriate instructions. It will be appreciated that by having standardised instructions for persons of different age groups or levels of education, for example, the perceptual ability and the stage of development of a particular person or, more particularly a child, can be evaluated.

It will be understood that numerous variations may be made to the embodiment of the invention described above without departing from the scope hereof which is limited only to the surface having the series of positions demarcated thereon and an associated set of instructions whether to be issued orally or visually. More particularly, the mat may be replaced by a carpet with the position indicating zones woven into it and the shape of the position indicating zones can be changed widely. Also instead of some of the positions being indicated by different colours they also may have different numerals associated with them, either as an alternative or as an additional demarcation.

Claims

1. A developmental or perceptual evaluation aid comprises a surface having a series of positions demarcated thereon with the positions being located such that a person can move from any one of a plurality of the positions to at least two different adjacent positions, and a set of instructions adapted to be conveyed to a person utilising the surface either audibly or visually for directing the person to proceed from one position to another in a specified sequence.

2. An aid as claimed in claim 1 in which at least some of the positions are identifiable relative to other positions.

3. An aid as claimed in claim 2 in which some positions are identifiable relative to other positions by virtue of them being associated with different colours.

4. An aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the surface is that of a mat or carpet.

5. An aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which positions are demarcated by zones of colour different from that of the rest of the surface.

6. An aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the positions are located relative to each other in a grid-like relationship.

7. An aid as claimed in claim 6 in which the positions are located in four rows of four.

8. An aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the instructions are embodied in a visible instruction sheet depicting the arrangement of positions provided on the surface and having lines or other indicia indicating a sequence in which a person is to proceed from one position to another in a series of movements.

9. An aid as claimed in claim 8 in which a plurality of different instruction sheets are included.

10. An aid as claimed in either of claims 8 or 9 in which the instructions sheets are supported by a stand from which one can be displayed at a time.

11. An aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which there is included one or more other planar articles in the form of one or more of additional circles, squares, triangles, arrows, letters, mathematical signs, and impressions of hands and/or feet.

12. An aid substantially as herein described and exemplified with reference to o Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings or with additional reference to Figure 3.