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Parents EducationAll learning begins with movement......... I'll say it again, ALL learning begins with movement! This page will be updated regularly with articles and facts on why it is imperative that your children take part in sporting activities ~ Angie.
School Readiness - Kids who "Play Ball" have an unfair advantage...Even the most basic model of child development will acknowledge that poor motor development inhibits a child's ability to advance to abstract thought and to deal with mathematical and spatial issues. Good motor development is the foundation for higher intellectual, psychological and social functions.Look at what these experts have to say: "In order to reach an acceptable level of school readiness and learning potential, it is of the utmost importance that children fulfill certain physical milestones. It is especially during pre-school years that children need the most motor stimulation to ensure that school readiness will be achieved in time.Movement programmes do not only prepare children for school, but also teach sport skills. Socialization skills and comprehension of cognitive concepts as well as problem solution are improved by these programmes. The perceptual motor section of programmes contribute to an improved reading and writing-adaptability.Movement programmes create a fun environment in which children can extend their development skills. It also creates a life-long interest in sport”. - Dr Pienaar (School of Biokinetic Studies, Recreation and Sport Science at Potchefstroom University). Taken from article “Passivity hampers school readiness” Tuesday 6 July 1999 - Beeld.Play is a child’s way of learning and integrating skills that will be used throughout life. Through play, children come to understand their world. They learn to move and move to learn. - Janet A. WesselsA child’s perceptual development is influenced directly by his physical development.Scientists have found that limitations of a child’s capacity for active movement is likely to retard his perceptual development and in this way, his overall intellectual ability. - Bobath 1990
How does it work?All parents want to give their child the best chance at being successful and happy at school. This is possible by ensuring that your child has mastered certain basic skills which pertain to emotional, intellectual and language development as well as something which is called sensory integration. Most of us are familiar with the basic school requirements of independence, an understanding of social rules and conventions, the ability to express oneself through language, an understanding of certain concepts as well as the integration (working together) of body and mind. But how does movement development fit into all these categories?Development and learning always start with the kinesthetic i.e. with physical movement. Before your child can understand the concept of space, she must experience this concept of space through the senses. By crawling, for example, the tactile and visual senses will give the brain input about things like where the body is in space, how direction works and how big or small things are in relation to her own body. The kinesthetic phase is followed by the three dimensional phase - this is when a child starts exploring by using objects. In the case of spatial orientation, the young child may use toys or household articles to explore space e.g. crawling around or underneath furniture or playing with stacking toys to experiment with this concept. Remember that this seemingly innocent play is really an important learning process where the child is gaining information about her world and how she fits into it! After the three dimensional phase, we have the two dimensional phase where the child has finally understood a concept and is able to transfer this to an abstract level e.g. exercises pertaining to spatial concepts can be done "on paper". Think of a simple exercise where a child must recognize and match pictures or symbols which are facing different directions. Before she can accomplish this, she actually needs to have gone through this whole process of perceptual development which includes kinesthetic, three dimensional and finally two dimensional development. Children should play to develop and practise concepts which will assist them with the demands made by school. Figure ground, spatial orientation and perceptual motor development can only be developed when a child is active and experiences these concepts physically.
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