Spelling and Movement

Courtesy of Achievers Unlimited, Inc.

Learning to spell, a child visualizes the movements necessary to reproduce the letters that combine to form a specific word. First, the child pictures his hand forming letters; then, he speaks the letters while writing them. As the child’s skill of visualization develops, he no longer needs the movements or auditory input to visualize the whole word.

Parents can provide the movement patterns that will increase a child‘s skill level to reach the gestalt of learning. For example, a child who experiences difficulty with spelling is demonstrating an inability to visualize words. Adding body movement patterns - such as dribbling - to the homework routine will speed up the learning process because the brain can automate the body movements. Movement in the body allows the entire activity of spelling to move to the subconscious in less time. As the child gains control over his body, he can spend more energy on learning to spell.

From Fields of Vision, published six times a year by Achievers Unlimited, Inc. www.achieverswisconsin.org