An important part of our literacy program in Prep is playing on the climbing equipment . . .
You may be wondering how climbing on the monkey bars has anything to do with literacy. . .
- Strengthening hand and arm muscles (important for writing)
- Improving vestibular system (balance, posture)
- Crossing the midline (as they reach across to the next bar) – important for letters such as a and z and activates development of the corpus callosum (the nerve pathways between the two hemispheres of the cerebrum)
- Building concepts of sequencing (where to start, how to get there) and patterns (this hand, now that hand, this hand, now that hand)
- Direction/left and right
Just a few of the skills being developed through this activity
