Core Strength & Motor Coordination Engage - Enable - Enrich Welcome back to Connections, the monthly blog from the Oasis. This month's blog will provide information and support to help you to recognise the importance of 'core strength' and 'motor coordination'. We look forward to bringing you future editions that will continue to focus upon our two key intentions;
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to provide information about the enrichment and support work that our departments provide. •
to share our knowledge, experience and support strategy suggestions.
Core strength - what is it and why is it important? Core strength is the development of the torso muscles that stabilize, align, and move the trunk of the body. Poor core strength can cause poor posture which can also affect gross motor and fine motor skills and coordination. Building strong core strength is like building a strong foundation for your child. Core strength development starts as an infant. When an infant has an opportunity to lie on his tummy, he learns to lift his head which helps to strengthen the neck and upper back muscles. For school aged children, the best way to develop core strength is through good old fashioned outdoor play! Children need daily opportunities to run, jump, climb, crawl and explore in an unstructured environment. There are ways to help your child exercise to strengthen his core muscles - in this edition we hope to share information that will help you to recognise the possible signs that indicate your child may be having some challenges in these areas and what you can do to help them. If you're ever in doubt and would like to discuss these issues further, please always remember that the first place to go is to your child's class teacher.
Support for success
Did you know... The child with weak core strength may have difficulties with handwriting that 'just can't be fixed'. Use of pencil grips, specialty lined paper, and handwriting modifications can help improve written work, but when a weak core is holding up the child, the handwriting struggles will never be fully fixed until these challenges are addressed. Developmental Milestones - here are a list of motor coordination and core strength indicators to look out for as you child grows. 0-6 months Milestones • Rolls over front to back and back to front • Sits with support and then independently Implications for delay • Poor muscle development for locomotion • Delayed ability to play independently 6-12 months Milestones • Crawls forwards on belly • Assumes a seated position unaided • Creeps on hands and knees • Transitions into different positions: sitting, all fours, lying on tummy • Pulls self to stand • Walks while holding onto furniture • Takes 2-3 steps without support • Rolls a ball in imitation of an adult Implications for delay • Delayed sensory development due to decreased ability to explore the environment • Poor muscle development • Delayed play skills 18 months Milestones • Sits, crawls, walks • Still has wide gait but walking/running is less clumsy • Pushes against a ball (does not actually kick it) Implications for delay • Delayed play skills • Difficulty interacting with the environment due to delayed ability to mobilise effectively • Poor muscle development 2 years Milestones
• Walks smoothly and turns corners • Begins running • Is able to pull or carry a toy while walking • Climbs onto/down from furniture without assistance • Walks up and down steps with support • Picks up toys from the floor without falling over Implications for delay • Poor muscle development for running and jumping • Delayed ability to play independently and interact with the environment • Decreased ability to interact socially 3 years Milestones • Imitates standing on one foot • Imitates simple bilateral movements of limbs (e.g. arms up together) • Climbs jungle gym and ladders • Pedals a tricycle • Walks up/down stairs alternating feet • Jumps in place with two feet together • Able to walk on tip toes • Catches using body Implications for delay • Decreased opportunities for social interaction • Poor development of body awareness and movement planning skills • Difficulties using playground equipment • Difficulties or lack of confidence interacting with other children in active environments (e.g. play cafes, playgrounds) 4 years Milestones • Stands on one foot for up to 5 seconds • Kicks a ball forwards • Throws a ball overarm • Catches a ball that has been bounced • Runs around obstacles • Able to walk on a line • Able to hop on one foot • Jumps over an object and lands with both feet together Implications for delay • Lack of confidence in movement based activities • Difficulties using playground equipment • Difficulties or lack of confidence interacting with other children in active environments (e.g. play cafes, playgrounds) 5 years Milestones • Able to walk up stairs while holding an object • Walks backward toe-heel • Jumps forward 10 times without falling • Skips forwards after demonstration
• Hangs from a bar for at least 5 seconds • Steps forward with leg on same side as throwing arm when throwing a ball • Catches a small ball using hands only Implications for delay • May result in poor self-esteem when comparing self to peers • Lack of confidence in movement based activities • Difficulties participating in sporting activities • Difficulties playing with moving toys such as bikes and scooters 6 years Milestones • Runs lightly on toes • Able to walk on a balance beam • Able to skip using a skipping rope • Can cover 2 metres when hopping • Demonstrates mature throwing and catching patterns • Mature (refined) jumping skills Implications for delay • Difficulty participating in sporting activities • May result in poor self-esteem when comparing self to peers • Lack of confidence in movement based activities
Let’s hear from the expert
Nadia Herb (Occupational Therapist) and Nishad Sayid (Physiotherapist) are both from kidsFIRST Medical Centre. Every week the ladies visit JESS to work with children who are developing their fine and gross motor coordination and core strength. Here they outline some of the behaviours that you might observe from a child that have difficulties in this area; Core strength and motor coordination is quite a vast topic! Before you even begin to explore the connections with sensory integration, it can feel overwhelming. It helps to reflect on how these issues might impact areas of learning; including but not limited to concentration, handwriting and many elements of PE. Your child may have a difficulty with core strength and motor coordination if you note any of the following: • Has poor posture (slumped shoulders, supports head with hands) • Tires Easily • Finds it hard to sustain concentration • Has difficulty with gross motor - balance / coordination • Has difficulty with fine motor - including poor handwriting • Appears 'clumsy' • Works at a slower pace than peers • Has difficulty attending to tasks The list can go on... but these examples should give you a fairly good idea of the possible presence of a specific challenge in this area.
kidsFIRST Medical Centre - https://www.kidsfirstmc.com
Tech support
As great as technology can be to engage learning, there is nothing that beats unstructured play when developing core strength and motor coordination. However, for those quieter moments, this month's 'app-ortunities' are intended to provide support for the different component challenges related to fine motor coordination. If you click in the top left of the image you will be able to find the name and focus of the app. There are many excellent websites that give activities to develop core strength, below is just one example; The Inspired Treehouse
1 - Sky Burger
2 - Cut the Buttons
3 - Button Board
4 - Dexteria Junior
5 - Bugs and Buttons 2
A good book
Every month we will make a recommendation for a book (or two!) that offer helpful information and advice, we hope over time to cover a range of topics that will be of interest to everyone in our primary school communities.
6 - https://www.amazon.com/Your-Childs-Motor-Development-Story/ "Your Child's Motor Development Story is written by an occupational therapist who describes for the everyday parent how BEST to help their kids develop. She takes them from birth to crawling, all the way to their first sports. Problems like slouching are tackled from lack of core strength, along with more pervasive coordination difficulties that many children face. Any new parent, and their kids, will gain from this book."
In the news...
7 - At JESS Jumeirah preparations for the World Scholar's Cup competition have begun in earnest. Our Year 5 and 6 students are eagerly preparing to compete in four events including debating and collaborative writing. They're all keenly hoping to bring home as many medals and cups as last year! We wish them well as they begin to study the detailed curriculum, exploring six subjects which are all connected by the common theme of 'An Entangled World'.
8 - Last week JESS Arabian Ranches led a workshop for Early Years Teaching Assistants on the importance of developing a secure sound symbol correspondence. Phonics and phonological awareness are essential skills for early readers.... look out for future editions of the Connections blog where we will explore this in more detail.
And finally... We hope that you have found some useful ideas and strategies in this edition of Connections. Should you wish to contribute you ideas, request a particular topic focus or share a recommendation for a book or app please let us know. You can always pop in to the department or email us at oasisjj@jess.sch.ae (Jumeirah) or primaryadmin@jess.sch.ae (Arabian Ranches)