FINDINGS WERE REPORTED ON THE ROLE OF EXPERIENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE SKILLS NECESSARY FOR VISUALLY DIRECTED REACHING. THE SKILLS INVOLVED WERE THE ORIENTING, ACCOMMODATING, AND PURSUIT RESPONSES OF THE EYES, ALL OF WHICH ARE ACHIEVED DURING THE FIRST HALF-YEAR OF LIFE. SEVERAL EXPERIMENTAL CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE ENVIRONMENT OF A GROUP OF INSTITUTIONALIZED INFANTS. THESE INCLUDED INCREASED HANDLING, ENRICHED VISUAL SURROUNDINGS, AND INCREASED MOTILITY. IT WAS FOUND THAT EARLY VISUAL-MOTOR DEVELOPMENT WAS REMARKABLY PLASTIC, OR MODIFIABLE BY THE EFFECTS OF THE EVENTS EXPERIENCED. THE ONSET OF HAND REGARD AND VISUALLY DIRECTED REACHING AND THE GROWTH OF VISUAL ATTENTIVENESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE INFANTS WHO HAD BEEN HANDLED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 20 MINUTES EACH DAY FROM DAY 6 THROUGH DAY 36 TESTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON VISUAL ATTENTION DURING DAYS 37 THROGH 152. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDED THAT THE AGE RANGE FROM 1 1/2 TO 5 MONTHS IS A TIME OF ENORMOUS IMPORTANCE FOR EARLY PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR DEVELOPMENT. THIS PAPER WAS COMPILED IN LARGE PART FROM AN ORAL PRESENTATION TO THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, CLEVELAND, DECEMBER 1963. IT IS PUBLISHED IN THE BOOK, "CAUSES OF BEHAVIOR--READINGS IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY," 2ND EDITION, ALLYN AND BACON, 1966. (AL)