Rolling Along

A morning spent rolling along in the Community Room is a morning the children look forward to. What could be more fun than a ride on a padded tube? But did you know this is actually a pre-writing exercise in disguise? Look closer and you'll see how the children are strengthening their arm and hand muscles by reaching out their arms and using them to support their full body weight.

Having strong upper body muscles is critical in being able to sustain the kind of writing required for elementary school. Most children begin working intensively on these muscles when they first learn to push up from their stomachs as infants and then continue as they go through the crawling stage. As they grow older, children need continued opportunities develop this muscle strength to reach the point of proper stamina necessary for writing.

To continue working the same muscles at home, without a padded tube, try the wheelbarrow game. Hold you child’s legs up and straight as they hand walk around the house or yard. You may find that initially it is difficult for your child to keep his body up, so keep the game short, letting your child rest and trying again. Over time, as your child becomes skilled at the game, add another challenge. Leave balls or toys around and challenge her to pick one up and carry it to a new spot.