What can parents do to help promote the sensory and motor development in their children to lay the foundation for early school success?

BalanceBalance is the foundational skill of all

movement. It is the ability to move your body under control.

Ideas to work on balance:

• Standing on one foot (with eyes open and closed)

• Walking down a line, curb or balance beam

• Hopscotch patterns

• Cross crawl patterns

• Statues

• Bike riding, skateboarding, rollerblading, gymnastics, swinging, dancing

Laterality/Directionality

This is essential in learning where to start to draw letters, where to begin to read on a page, and which side of a word to begin reading.

Laterality is knowing the difference between your left and right, forward and backward and up and down.

Laterality/Directionality

Ideas to work on laterality/directionality:

• Balloon Up

• Throw beanbags to Arrows

• Dribble Directions

• Jumping Turns

• Throwing, Mazes, Hokey Pokey, Simon Says, Drawing a map of the house, Tracing, Setting the Table

Visual-Motor CoordinationThis is the ability to coordinate

vision with movement. This is important in academics

because:• Helps a child to copy things

and to write, color, and cut things properly (fine motor type skills).

• Helps a child to track when reading.

• Helps a child line up letters/numbers in columns & rows.

Visual-Motor CoordinationThis is the ability to coordinate

vision with movement.

Ideas to work on Visual-Motor:

• Ball catching activities

• Throwing to a target-underhand

• Balloon Hits

• Ball Dribbling

• Juggling

• Legos, pick-up sticks, ball & jacks, puzzles, hammering, coloring, drawing, cutting, copying

Bilateral Motor Skills Bilateral motor skills involve learning to

coordinate both sides of the body.

This reflects the ability to coordinate the right and left sides of the brain usually in combination with other sensory input.

Children with adequate bilateral motor skills are better prepared for early school

Bilateral Motor SkillsIdeas to work on bilateral motor

skills:

• Jumping jacks

• Skipping

• Dribbling with Alternate Hands

• Jumping Rope

• Cross crawls

• Balloon Taps Between Hands

• Swimming, Marching with Cross Crawl Pattern, Gymnastics, Running and Rollerblading

Other Gross Motor Suggestions

• Swinging• Sliding• Climbing the Monkey Bars• Spinning on a Sit & Spin

(controlled)• Tire Swing• Obstacle courses• Races (running,

wheelbarrow racing, dribbling a ball with hands or feet, skipping or galloping,etc.)

By enhancing your child’s motor skills, you will:

Build the foundation of learning for life!

Help him/her start down the path of early learning success.

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