Well-developed Mover skills have little to do with a child's conversational ability, attention span, or other classroom "pluses." But, by preschool age, the agile and coordinated child exudes a sense of confidence that puts him in the lead both in the gym and on the playground. It follows, then, that a body image and an overall athleticism that are improved by exposure to large-muscle activities will stand every preschooler in good stead.
A child who's a Mover will, no doubt, be a willing participant in any gross motor game or technique you wish to try, simply because these activities appeal to his inborn sensory preference. In contrast. Lookers and Listeners will be navigating foreign waters each time they attempt full-body play; but you can make the going a bit easier for them by building in some of the visual and auditory stimulation they adore. You should find some of these ideas helpful in encouraging your child's Mover skills.
ENHANCING A PRESCHOOLER’S EXISTING MOVER SKILLS
■ Provide your child with knee pads, a helmet, and a pair of ice, roller, or in-line skates.
■ Encourage your preschooler to walk, hop, and twirl on a ground- level balance beam. A street-side curb or a two-by-four placed on the grass can serve the purpose.
■ Seek out a cargo net, knotted rope, or rope ladder for your child's climbing practice.
■ Bag of Feelies , distributed by Lakeshore (through catalogue only).
contains ten pairs of textured pieces. One of each pair is placed in a cloth bag; the other is left out for the child to feel and then match with its hidden mate.
■ PlaySkool's ten-inch Play Cycle is a safe, sturdy first bicycle, complete with rugged training wheels.
■ Access to an outdoor swing set encourages a child to hoist himself into a swing and then pump his legs to get in motion.
■ Several companies make a Bop Bag, which is a sand-weighted inflatable toy with bounce-back action. This is the perfect target for venting frustrations or just-for-the-fun-of-it rhythmic punching.
■ Dance and exercise with your preschooler, encouraging him to move at different energy levels to different tempos.
■ A two-sided easel, comprised of both a clipboard and a chalkboard, will allow your child to involve his whole body in various large-sized projects.
■ Giant Tumble Balls , distributed by Lakeshore (through catalogue only), come in three sizes—nineteen, twenty-four, and thirty inches—and can be rolled, bounced, kicked, or ridden on after inflation.
■ For no-miss dunking, present your child with a height-adjustable basketball net and a foam basketball.
■ Tonka makes a realistic heavy-duty mixer, dump truck, and crane that are perfect for use in sand, dirt, leaves, and pebbles.
■ Provide your child with a lightweight nylon tent, or just tack an old blanket to a fence, for all kinds of outdoor play.
■ Jumpin' Jiminy Bounce by Natural Science is a thirty-six-inch soft, rounded trampoline that's ideal for preschoolers.
■ Lakeshore offers five-inch plastic Safety Stilts (through catalogue only) with a stable, no-slip base and adjustable handgrips.
ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOVER SKILLS IN LOOKER AND LISTENER PRESCHOOLERS
■ A selection of pool toys—floats, swim rings, rafts, and ride-on inflatable animals—make water play almost irresistible.
■ Play catch with a large, soft Nerf ball. Stand very close to your child as you aim the ball into his outstretched arms. As his skills improve, you'll be able to move farther apart.
■ Offer one of the widely available games in which Velcro-covered balls are tossed at a large, colorful target. This safe variation of darts encourages throwing practice because a "hit" is almost guaranteed.
■ Make a couple of paper pompoms and encourage your child to play cheerleader, with lots of running, jumping, bending, and stretching.
■ Teach your child the movements to various hand-clapping games, like "Pat-a-Cake" and "A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea."
■ Cap Toys' Official Crunchball is a baseball set with a soft, oversized, fabric-covered bat and ball.
■ Offer your child the chance to ride the coin-operated horses, race cars, and boats so often found outside supermarkets.
■ Introduce your child to gardening. Weeding, raking, planting, watering, and watching over a special garden spot will appeal to all types of preschool learners.
■ Create an inviting outdoor play spot that's just for your child. If you vary the accompanying toys, he'll vary his activities, as well.
■ Soft Sport Ring Toss Set by Franklin can be played indoors or out. It has a soft, squeezable post, base, and rings.
■ Seek out a two-step flight of stairs on which your child can practice climbing and jumping.
■ Provide a collection of washable cars and trucks for your preschooler's indoor and outdoor use.
■ Give your child a paintbrush and a bucket of water, and ask him to "paint" the fence, the steps, or the sidewalk.
■ Fisher-Price's Fun With Food Supermarket Cart comes with two baskets, plastic groceries, and play money.
■ Your preschooler can be the navigator or the passenger when you provide a child-sized wagon for his outdoor use.
When selecting activities and playthings for your preschooler, keep in mind that flexibility is important—even vital. Naturally, no two children will be ready for a given toy at exactly the same time, nor will they derive equal enjoyment from it even when its introduction is timed exactly right. A trip to the toy store may well convince you that a different toy from the one I've recommended will achieve the same developmental purpose while being much better suited to the tastes of you and your child. You are certainly the best judge of your youngster's temperament, so I urge you to trust your instincts in modifying my suggestions or in borrowing ideas from the lists compiled for other types of learners.
It's also important that you not expect overnight success in your efforts to round out your preschooler's learning skills. The fact is that many weeks may pass before you first notice that there's a new sureness to his grip, that he's becoming more observant, or that he's relying more frequently on verbal rather than bodily expressions of his wants and needs. But rest assured, the changes will come in time, bringing with them a satisfying sense of achievement that will put smiles on both of your faces!