The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test: Implications for the diagnosis and prediction of reading achievement

The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test (BG) is a commonly used measure of visual-motor performance and is often used as part of the predictive or diagnostic reading battery. This article reviews 32 published research studies in three areas: the utility of the BG as a predictor of reading; the relationship between the BG and reading achievement measured concurrently; the ability of the BG to differentiate between good and poor readers. The research reviewed suggests that the continued use of the BG (scored using discrete error systems) as part of the predictive or diagnostic reading battery is not warranted.