The Link Between Literacy and Physical Movement

Did you know that learning to read and write can include more than your child just sitting in school all day at a desk? Did you know that different children learn better using different parts of their brains? I just finished reading a very interesting article that lists many ways that physical movement can help a child learn to read and write, all of which has been backed up by research.


• Every language has a rhythm, and every person has their own rhythm. So singing and dancing helps a child learn both the rhythm of a language and helps them get along with other children. What can you do? Sing songs and put motions to them. Clap out the rhythm of a poem. Create a dance and sing what you’re doing. Your child will be learning phrasing, connecting different parts in a series, and flow - all of which are important when they start connecting words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs.

• To learn to read, children need to be aware of how things relate to each other in space. The letters “b” and “d” are both made up of a line and a circle. Instead of just copying the letters on paper, children can mimic the straight and curving lines with their bodies. Acting out the letters with their whole bodies helps children learn the spatial difference between them.

• Prepositions are little words with big and important meanings. If a child goes through a tunnel and over a log and under a desk, that child understands those words on a much deeper level. What can you do? Move with your child through an obstacle course and talk about what you’re doing. It is a perfect opportunity for learning those important preposition words.

• Children learn what words mean in a more concrete way if they act them out. Read a book together, then act it out! If you and your child slither like a snake, stalk like a lion, and stomp like when they’re mad, they are learning those words using many senses at once. If they truly know what a word means, their reading comprehension will come easier. Even suffixes become more understandable when they act out the words: for instance, try acting out the difference between “scared” and “scary”!

Learning through moving their whole bodies is not only more fun, but it stays with children longer. So get moving!

Pica, R. 2010. Learning by Leaps and Bounds. Linking literacy and movement. Young Children 65 (6): 72-73. www.naeyc.org/yc/columns

-Kathy