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.

• 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.

  Tactile touch begins the moment the child is born with the tickle on the foot or the slap on the bottom. The blankets and diaper the baby wear are some of the earliest sensations of tactile touch. The holding, cuddling, and stroking of the baby are other examples. If a child has poor tactile touch reactions, the child may be fidgety or unable to sit in his chair because it feels uncomfortable on his bottom. He may not be able to hold a pencil or book correctly. He may leave his books at home or at school because it is uncomfortable to carry them. He may take forever to get dressed, even to go out to recess, because he doesn't like the feeling of his clothes.

• 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.