Crossing the Midline
What teachers may notice when children find cross body movement difficult, plus simple classroom ideas and a free checklist.
Primary School Teachers
Practical movement support for the children who are finding the foundations harder
This section is for primary school teachers who are noticing that some children are finding movement, handwriting, reading, PE, coordination, spatial awareness or classroom participation harder than expected.
The aim is not to turn teachers into therapists. It is to help you notice what may be sitting underneath the task and give you simple movement ideas that can fit into a normal school day.
Want something practical first?
Free classroom movement activities
If you are looking for something you can use straight away, start here. These short movement activities are designed to fit into a normal classroom day and connect the movement foundations below with practical ideas you can try with children.
Before sport, handwriting and reading come movement foundations
Children can be asked to run, catch, throw, write, sit, focus and keep up while they are still working incredibly hard on balance, coordination, visual tracking, crossing the midline, body awareness and postural control. These pages help you look underneath the task and notice what the child's body may be communicating.
Start with what you are noticing
Primary school movement topics
Each topic includes a short explanation, practical classroom observations and resources you can use straight away.
VOR and Visual Tracking
Explore how head movement, eye movement and visual tracking can influence reading, copying, movement and classroom participation.
Spatial Awareness
Support children to better understand where their body is in space, move around others and judge distance and direction.
Movement Breaks
Short classroom movement experiences that support coordination, body awareness, rhythm, attention and participation.
Hand Rhythm and Bilateral Coordination
A simple rhythm activity that encourages children to coordinate both sides of the body, remember movement sequences and keep a steady pattern.
Handwriting Warm Ups
Short movement ideas that prepare the shoulders, arms, wrists and hands before handwriting and fine motor classroom tasks.
Reflexes, Regulation and Reading
Look beyond the words on the page and notice the posture, visual tracking, regulation and movement foundations sitting underneath reading.
This library will keep growing
I will keep adding practical articles, videos and downloadable resources around balance, core strength, bilateral coordination, reflex patterns, visual tracking and movement before PE.
Explore more Play Move Improve articles