Gross Motor Skills: Building the Foundation for Language Development

Why Movement Matters for Language

At first glance, gross motor skills and language development may seem unrelated.

Gross motor skills focus on large muscle groups responsible for crawling, walking, running, and lifting, while language is intellectual.

Yet, they are deeply connected.

Movement supports neurological growth, sensory processing, and cognitive skills, all of which are critical for language acquisition.

How Gross Motor Skills Influence Language

1. Brain Development and Neural Connections 🧠

Physical activity stimulates the brain, forming neural pathways that support cognitive and language functions. Activities like crawling, walking, and climbing strengthen these pathways, laying the groundwork for communication skills.

2. Sensory Integration 👉🏼

Gross motor activities enhance sensory input, helping children process their environment. By running, jumping, or lifting objects, children engage their senses—visual, auditory, and spatial—which are crucial for recognizing sounds, patterns, and associations.

At PCA, our classrooms include sensory materials like textured surfaces, vibrant colors, and hands-on activities to optimize sensory processing. Parents can mirror this at home by providing opportunities for sensory exploration, such as playing with sand, water, or textured toys.

3. Spatial Awareness and Cognitive Growth 🙆🏾

Activities like crawling and walking enhance spatial awareness—understanding the body’s position relative to objects and people. This awareness helps children grasp language concepts like “in,” “under,” “over,” and “beside.”

Physical exploration also broadens their world, introducing new people, places, and objects to expand their vocabulary. At PCA, we prioritize two hours of outdoor activity daily to support physical movement and learning.

4. Social Interaction and Communication Cues 🗣️

Physical movement fosters social interactions by bringing children together for shared activities. At PCA, even infants engage in collaborative environments where they learn to read body language, take turns, and interpret gestures—essential non-verbal communication skills.

Movement’s Role in Supporting Speech

1. Breath Control and Vocalization

Gross motor activities enhance core strength, posture, and respiratory control—all essential for speech. Activities that involve movement naturally encourage vocalizations, as children express excitement or narrate their actions.

In our curriculum, singing and music play a significant role, especially in learning Chinese, which is a tonal language. Music strengthens both breath control and tonal recognition, essential for fluency.

2. Self-Regulation and Focus

Physical activities teach self-regulation by helping children control impulses and manage energy levels. Running, balancing, or climbing improves their ability to focus and absorb information during quieter, academic activities.

Our structured program balances active and quiet times to optimize both gross motor skill development and effective learning.

3. Crossing the Midline and Bilateral Coordination

Crossing the midline—reaching across the body’s center—builds coordination between the brain’s hemispheres, which supports language processing. Activities like carrying a tray or arranging Montessori materials integrate fine motor skills and strengthen neural connections.

What Parents Can Do ✅

Support Gross Motor Development at Every Stage

Encourage movement from infancy onward:

• Babies: Allow supervised free movement to strengthen muscles and explore their environment.

• Toddlers: Encourage emerging walkers to explore parks or open spaces where they can roam safely. If the weather is too cold, supervised stair time can be a great way to support their developing motor skills.

• Preschoolers: Engage them in fun gross motor activities like climbing or jumping. When possible, encourage walking on the sidewalk to help them practice movement skills. At PCA, we introduce sidewalk walking as part of our approach to supporting physical development.

  
  

Be Patient and Respect Individual Timelines

Every child develops at their own pace. While it’s natural to feel eager for milestones like talking, problem-solving, or bilingual fluency, patience is key.

Children may feel frustrated if they are out of sync with peers, and this frustration can lead to acting out. Providing ample opportunities for movement helps build the physical foundation needed for cognitive and language growth.

The Movement-Language Connection

Gross motor development isn’t just about physical skills—it’s about building the brain-body connection that supports cognitive, social, and language development.

By fostering movement, both parents and educators can give children the tools they need to express themselves, process their world, and develop language skills at their own pace.