Moving Toward Reading & Writing

How Active Bodies Build Strong Readers, Writers and Communicators

Many parents picture reading and writing as quiet activities.

A child sits at a desk.

They hold a pencil.

They look at words on a page.

But long before a child can comfortably read a book or write their name, their body has already been preparing for these skills through movement.

Every crawl across the floor…

Every climb at the playground…

Every game of tug-of-war…

Every roll down a grassy hill…

Every hop, jump and balance challenge…

…is helping to build the physical foundation for literacy.

Children don’t simply learn with their brains.

They learn with their whole bodies.

Movement develops the strength, balance, coordination, vision and body awareness that later allow children to sit comfortably, control a pencil, move their eyes across a page and express themselves through speech and writing. Research in developmental psychology and occupational therapy consistently demonstrates that early motor development is closely linked with later academic readiness, including literacy skills (Piek et al., 2008; Grissmer et al., 2010).

Reading and writing begin long before the alphabet.

They begin with movement.

Why Big Muscles Matter Before Little Muscles

The body develops from the centre outward and from the head downward.

Development follows a predictable pattern:

1. Core stability
2. Shoulder strength
3. Arm control
4. Wrist stability
5. Hand strength
6. Finger control
7. Pencil skills

Children first learn to stabilise their bodies before they can control small, precise movements. Occupational therapists refer to this as proximal stability supporting distal mobility—a stable trunk and shoulders provide the foundation for precise movements of the hands and fingers (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2019).

Think of trying to write while standing on a moving boat.

If the body isn’t stable, the hands struggle to do delicate work.

The same principle applies to young children.

Strong postural muscles allow the hands to move freely and accurately.

Without that stability, children often tire quickly, grip pencils too tightly or avoid drawing and writing (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2019).

Movement Builds the Foundation for Fine Motor Skills

Large muscle activities strengthen the muscles of the:

• neck
• shoulders
• upper back
• core
• hips

These muscles provide a stable base for the smaller muscles of the hands and fingers.

As children climb, crawl, hang, push, pull and balance, they are preparing for skills such as:

• colouring
• cutting
• buttoning
• drawing
• handwriting
• keyboard use
• manipulating small objects

Research has found that both gross and fine motor development contribute to children’s readiness for school and later academic achievement (Grissmer et al., 2010; Cameron et al., 2012).

Strong bodies support capable hands.

Even the Tongue Needs Stability

Many parents are surprised to learn that speech also depends on body stability.

Clear speech requires coordinated control of the:

• jaw
• lips
• cheeks
• tongue
• breathing muscles
• neck

Good postural control allows children to stabilise the head and jaw, enabling the tongue and lips to move more efficiently for clear speech production. Speech-language pathologists recognise that posture, breath support and oral motor coordination work together during speech (Bowen, 2015).

Breathing also becomes more efficient, supporting stronger voices, longer sentences and clearer pronunciation.

This is one reason movement, singing and active play can support communication as well as literacy.

Vision Moves Before Eyes Read

Reading depends on far more than recognising letters.

Children need well-developed visual skills, including the ability to:

• track smoothly from left to right
• focus between near and far objects
• follow moving targets
• coordinate both eyes together
• maintain visual attention

Many of these skills develop naturally through active play.

Watching bubbles float across the room.

Tracking a rolling ball.

Following a kite in the sky.

Catching scarves.

Throwing beanbags.

These playful experiences strengthen the visual tracking and eye coordination required for fluent reading (American Optometric Association, 2023).

Crossing the Midline

One of the most important movement skills for reading and writing is crossing the body’s midline—the imaginary line that divides the body into left and right halves.

Children cross the midline when they:

• reach across their body
• crawl
• climb
• twist
• throw with one hand across the body
• paint on a large vertical surface

Crossing the midline encourages communication between the two hemispheres of the brain and supports bilateral coordination, hand dominance and efficient eye movements needed for reading and handwriting (Goddard Blythe, 2017; Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2019).

Encourage Conversation While Moving

The richest literacy learning happens when movement is paired with meaningful conversation.

Instead of giving instructions, invite thinking.

Ask:

• “What happened next?”
• “How did you solve that?”
• “Can you describe your obstacle course?”
• “Which part was the trickiest?”
• “What would you change?”

Rich back-and-forth conversations during play help children develop vocabulary, narrative skills, comprehension and executive functioning, all of which contribute to later reading success (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2022; American Academy of Pediatrics, 2018).

Reading readiness is not measured by how early a child memorises the alphabet.

Remember

It is reflected in how confidently they move, explore, communicate and interact with the world.

Children who climb, crawl, balance, push, pull, jump, roll and play are building more than strong muscles.

They are developing the stable bodies, curious minds and confident communication skills that support reading, writing and lifelong learning. Developmentally appropriate, play-based experiences have repeatedly been shown to foster these foundational skills more effectively than early academic instruction alone (NAEYC, 2020; Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2022).

So before asking children to sit still and hold a pencil, give them every opportunity to move.

Their bodies are preparing their brains for learning.

Additional References

• American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Early Childhood. (2018). Literacy promotion: An essential component of primary care pediatric practice. Pediatrics, 141(6), e20180159.
• American Optometric Association. (2023). Infant Vision: Birth to 24 Months. (Clinical guidance on visual development and tracking.)
• Bowen, C. (2015). Children’s Speech Sound Disorders (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
• Cameron, C. E., Brock, L. L., Murrah, W. M., Bell, L. H., Worzalla, S. L., Grissmer, D., & Morrison, F. J. (2012). Fine motor skills and executive function both contribute to kindergarten achievement. Child Development, 83(4), 1229–1244.
• Goddard Blythe, S. (2017). Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Hirsh-Pasek, K., Hadani, H. S., Blinkoff, E., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2022). A New Path to Education Reform: Playful Learning Promotes 21st Century Skills in Schools and Beyond. Brookings Institution.