Pre-requisite for early literacy skills

Many parents ask, "How young should we start building muscle tone?"

The answer is: Right from birth.

As an educational therapist, I often work with children who have poor muscle tone, and this can significantly impact their ability to learn and write effectively.

Many people don't realize that writing is not just a cognitive skill—it is also a physical skill. Before a child can form letters and write sentences, they need adequate core strength, postural control, shoulder stability, and hand strength.

When a child has poor muscle tone, a great deal of their energy is spent simply trying to maintain an upright posture. As a result, less attention and mental energy are available for learning, listening, processing information, and completing writing tasks.

Children with weak muscle tone may tire easily, avoid table-top activities, struggle to hold a pencil correctly, or find writing physically exhausting.

This is why building muscle tone should begin from infancy through opportunities for tummy time, crawling, climbing, pushing, pulling, and active play. These early movement experiences lay the foundation for later literacy, handwriting, and academic success.

Strong bodies support strong learners.

"Did you know that crawling, climbing, and active play are all helping to prepare your child for writing?"

Here are some activities you can do with your child today! Let's start building strong muscle tone!