She didn’t seem to mind too much….
I believe there is a battle for developmentally appropriate provision in early years.
There is a deep divide between those who take note of early childhood research and what it reveals about the importance of moving, play and creativity (of which dancing, is part) and there are those who seem to be ignoring such research and ploughing on (with great difficulty, I believe) encouraging children to learn more formally before they are ready.
Sally’s work is about the importance of moving in early childhood.
Her work focuses on helping children work through the primitive reflexes they are born with (found in the lower, foundational parts of the brain). Her work seeks to inhibit them so that the child can develop the more sophisticated postural reflexes (which are developed ‘higher up in the brain’) so they can engage in learning with all their bodies, souls and intellect.
Sally describes the postural reflexes as “the great personal assistant to our ability to be organised and to concentrate (our executive functioning)”. There is a clear relationship between neuro-motor immaturity and children having difficult starts their education both in early years settings and in foundation year. She states:
“Moving provides the hooks on which children hang their knowledge and learning. ”
A study in Ireland found that out of a 672 5-6 years olds, 48% had some neuro-motor immaturity using Sally’s screen method. Similarly, a study conducted by headteacher in the Midlands found a clear link between physical difficulties and a low levels of attainment in their SATS.
Sally had a stark warned about “grey area” children – those who haven’t completed their developmental movement patterns in the first years of life and who often go under the radar in the education system – my son was one of those.
I wholeheartedly agree with Sally, in that I believe that our bodies naturally try to get the movement experiences they need. We can see this through our behaviour. Sit me in a meeting for over an hour and I’ll start to fidget, needing to move in order to connect my learning. Children instinctively do this. More adult bodies would do it too if we spent more time listening to them, instead of up in our heads.
There is challenge for those of us working in movement to find the balance between free play and creative expression (of a child’s inner world) and structured activity that we know helps children to inhibit those primitive reflexes in order to develop the postural reflexes. When I asked Sally about this she was was very clear about the primary need for practitioners to spend time on the floor – to look at her movement suggestions for the inhibition of reflexes and to translate them creatively into activities for the floor initially, moving to standing as the child becomes more proficient. This enables a child to explore the different ways the body needs to move to inhibit the reflexes they are born with, so that they can develop physical literacy.
Sally’s most recent book “Movement - your child’s first language” can be found on Amazon here.