Topic 5: What Does Motor Planning Look Like and How Do We Strengthen It?
Learning to roll over as an infant requires motor planning: understanding the task (ideation), organizing the movement for success (organization), and completing the movements to roll (execution). Whether it is something as developmental as rolling over or the more challenging skill of driving a car, all three pieces of motor planning must take place to execute the movement and skills properly. So imagine learning to write. How challenging that must be if you cannot understand what needs to take place (ideation), organize your body, arms and hands to hold the paper and move the pencil (organization) and complete the movements successfully (execution).
The best way to improve motor planning? Of course! With big body play! Practicing motor planning helps lay the neural wiring the we use when we move from play to big, more important tasks like writing or driving.
- Core and general muscle strengthening activities
- Vestibular and proprioceptive strengthening activities
- Repetition and sequencing activities