7 FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICAL READINESS SKILLS

Click on each skill to read a detailed description.

• BALANCE - Balance is the ability to move your body under control.
  
  
• GENERAL COORDINATION - General coordination is the ability to coordinate movement.

• BODY IMAGE - Body image is the ability to understand one's own body and its relationship to other things.
  

• HAND-EYE COORDINATION - Hand-eye coordination is being able to use your hands and your eyes effectively at the same time.
  
  As the child grows, hand-eye coordination begins to develop. Just as he originally reached out for objects, he now must master the coordination between looking at something and touching it: a step beyond body image. Children who lack good hand-eye coordination may have trouble throwing objects at a target. They may not be able to catch a ball. A task such as dressing either themselves or dolls may be bothersome. The child who has problems with hand-eye coordination may be experiencing trouble tracking for reading. (Following the line across the page from left to right, dropping down a line and beginning again.) She may not be able to color within the lines. Writing on the lines may escape her.
  

• LATERALITY - Laterality is knowing my left from right, top from bottom, and front from back.

• TACTILE TOUCH - Tactile touch is the ability to feel objects as they are meant to be felt.

• AUDIO RECEPTIVE / AUDIO EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE - Audio receptive / audio expressive language is the ability to hear and distinguish the basic sounds in a given language and to express those sounds in a distinguishable manner.