Literacy is most commonly understood as reading and writing. But before children can read and write, a whole range of fundamental skills need to be in place.
The best way to develop reading and writing skills is to give the body and brain plenty opportunity to coordinate with one another. This is best achieved through movement and physical activity. Playball understands the science behind the body and brain connection and as a result can deliver a program that has literacy as one of its core outcomes.
Creating a broad base of physical skills on which children will depend is critical to early learning. Knowing that fine motor control begins with large muscle working well, Playball develops isolated body parts and gives children the opportunity to make sure these work well together allowing good coordination.
Playball also sets out every lesson to builds strong postural muscles understanding the need for children to support and hold their bodies in space as their bodies move. Our classes specifically helps the eyes learn tracking skills and assists the hands and eyes to form a successful partnership. Being exposed to a variety of different physical skills gives children experience in motor planning and spatial awareness.
The repetition through ongoing physical experiences helps children develop control which is the ability to move deliberately and accurately to achieve whatever the brain proposes. This of course cannot be achieved, without clear understanding that all of the domains of a child’s development —physical, social-emotional, cognitive, language and literacy—are interrelated and interdependent. So while facilitating literacy skills we are in fact assisting the development of the whole child.
