Communication is part of a hierarchy of learning. Newborns communicate by crying when they are wet, hungry, or tired. This communication eventually evolves into words and sentences as they grow. Communication helps children learn to share thoughts, ideas and opinions. And without adequate communication skills, school is frustrating and hard.
One communication skill that is vital to classroom success is writing, a motor-based skill. Some may argue writing is less important in the classroom than it used to be as technology has taken center stage in our learning, work and play.
But let’s look at writing through a slightly different lens.
When we write using our hands, we are activating both sides of the brain, tapping into the logical left brain which is executing the functions of gripping and moving a pencil across a page while also tapping into the creative right brain which is manipulating words and concepts. So using a pencil to write helps lay a foundation of higher thought and problem solving by recruiting the right and left brain to work together. When the two halves of the brain are working together, as in handwriting, that cross-brain conversation shifts the dominance from the emotional right brain towards the more controlled left brain, something we want to see as children mature.
So the more we use a keyboard versus the Ticonderoga, the less we flex these muscles kids need to operate emotionally and cognitively in the world.
So that leads to the question: what do kids need to confidently tackle writing? Here are 7 key play-based strengths and skills that, when weak, make writing, and ultimately school, harder.
- Core strength. The stronger the core, the more smooth moving and controlled the appendages, the easier it is to sit at a desk, move a pencil and hold a book.
- How can kids develop core strength? Running, jumping, riding bikes, swimming, playing on playground equipment, and climbing trees.
- Upper body strength and shoulder stabilization. Moving away from the strong core, kids need strong arms to control their hands.
- How can kids develop a strong upper body? Crawling, wheelbarrow walking with friends, building forts and climbing trees.
- Grip strength. Holding a pencil is hard. When we play games that require kids to tightly grip a piece of equipment like a parachute or a pool noodle, we have more kids than ever tell us their hands are tired.
- How can kids develop grip strength? Playing with play dough, carrying buckets of sand or water, building forts, climbing and crawling.
- Body and spatial awareness. In order to understand how much space a letter or word takes up on a page, a child must experience how much space they take up in the world. Then and only then, can they transfer that information to learning to write their name or a sentence.
- How can kids develop body awareness? Games like Hide and seek, Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Twister, the Hokey Pokey.
- Bilateral movement. Children need the two sides of their body to work together but at entirely different jobs, in order to successfully write. One hand must be the helper to hold the paper, for example, and one must be the dominant hand. Sadly I have had too many preschool parents proudly tell me their child is ambidextrous. But what this actually means, more than 9 times out of 10, is their child is inefficient with both hands and is not having a well-developed conversation between the two halves of his brain inhibiting both his cognitive skills and all his communication skills.
- How can kids develop bilateral movement? Riding a bike, swimming, throwing, hitting a ball with a bat, racquet, or golf club, crawling, or skipping.
- A solid sense of force. Our proprioceptive system helps us understand force whether it is the amount of force needed to pet a kitten gently or the amount of force needed to hit a piñata to break it open. It is the same understanding of force that helps us put pencil to paper and press down just hard enough to leave a mark without breaking the tip. The proprioceptive system also works with body awareness using the weight of our limbs to help us understand what our limbs are doing and how they are working in relation to each other. We need all these skills to operate a pencil with success.
- How can kids develop their proprioceptive sense? By putting pressure on their joints like jumping, climbing, crawling, carrying heavy buckets, and helping with chores like wiping down tables and carrying out the trash.
- The ability to see letters on a page. If letters and words move on the page, writing is extremely challenging. We help keep letters still by developing a focal point with our eyes. A focal point is honed when we move our bodies because our brains have to make sense of the world and where we are in it.
- How can kids develop a focal point? Spinning, sliding, swinging, hanging upside down, log rolling, and somersaulting.
- An understanding of sequence and patterning. To write the letter “A” a specific series of events has to happen to successfully achieve that letter. To write a word, a specific series of events must happen for the work to come together on a page. To put a concept onto paper, a series of specific steps must happen. When we understand sequencing and patterning, writing becomes easier.
- How can kids develop sequencing and patterning? Galloping, skipping, riding a bike, swimming, throwing and the monkey bars.
Does this list seem long? Not if you noticed a key theme: big body physical play. All of the activities kids can do to strengthen their writing skills and build their confidence come from a foundation of play. You may also have noticed, many of the activities are listed multiple times meaning kids are building multiple skills and strengths in the background while they play.
Notice what isn’t on the list. Sitting. Technology. Sedentary play.
Grownups say “Use it or lose it” when we talk about a workout or building that six-pack. When it comes to building a strong foundation for writing, not only does this philosophy apply, but so does Terence Mann’s philosophy in Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”
When kids build that foundation in big body physical play, learning is easier because communicating and writing are easier.
