Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2007, 104, 1223-1235. O Perceptual and Motor Skills 2007 IMPROVING SPATIAL PERCEPTION IN 5-YR.-OLD SPANISH CHILDREN "' ANDRES CANTO JIMENEZ Departamento de Didactica de la Expresidn Murical Pla~tica y Corporal Facultad de Educacidn y Humanidades Unzversidad de Granada, Campus Melilla ANTONIO ONA SICILIA Departamento de Educacidn Fiszca y Deportiva Facultad de Ciencias de la Activirlad Firica y del Deporte Universidad de Granada JUAN GRANDA VERA Departamento de Didictica de la Expresidn Musical Plastica y Corporal Facultad de Educacidn y Humanidades Universidad de Granada, Campus Melilla Summay.-Assimilation of distance perception was studied in 70 Spanish primary school children. This assimilation involves the generation of projective images which are acquired through two mechanisms. One mechanism is spatial perception, wherein ~erce~tual processes develop ensuring successful immersion in space and the acquisi- tion of visual cues which a person may use to interpret images seen in the distance. The other mechanism is movement through space so that these images are produced. The present study evaluated the influence on improvements in spatial perception of using increasingly larger spaces for training sessions within a motor skills program. Vi- sual parameters were measured in relation to the capture and tracking of moving ob- jects or ocular motility and speed of detection or visual reaction time. Analysis show- ed that for the group trained in increasingly larger spaces, ocular motility and visual reaction time were significantly improved during different phases of the program. This research generally aimed to understand the effect of motor stimu- lation and learning on perceptuospatial factors in preschool children. Pre- viously research into the capacity of the visual system and the mechanisms that organize visual perception indicates that 5-yr.-old children should be 'Address correspondence to uan Granda, Departamento de Didactica de la Expresion Musi- I' cal, Plistica y Corporal, Facu tad de Educacion y Humanidades, Universidad de Granada, Cam- pus de Melilla, 52005 Mellila, S ain or e mail (jgrandaC3ugr.e~). This study was supported by tie Superior Council of Sports of Spain (Project Ref. 12/UNI21/ 97). We thank Dr. Martinez Sanz for unstinting help in recordin optometric data, the teachers at the Centro de Educaci6n Infantil "Pricticas" in Melilla for tgheir support, and K. Shashok for translating the original manuscript into English. The assistance of Amalia Gadea Arcas (In memoriam) and Oscar Carballo Trinidad, the trainers in the practice sessions, is greatly appre ciated.