Why Should Every Child Learn to do a Forward Roll? Forward Rolls are one of the first (and simplest) skills that babies and children learn in a gymnastics-based class. After a few tries, most kids can do it by themselves. But, WHY should every child learn and be encouraged to try forward rolls? Forward rolls, when done correctly, are an incredible full body & brain workout for all age groups. 1- Body Awareness & Control Forward rolls are more than just a basic tumbling skill. They also promote body awareness and control, which leads to increased coordination of the body and the mind. Less time spent thinking about basic motor skill tasks = More time thinking about learning! The child also must have enough body control to keep the head tucked in and roll over in one round, smooth motion. 2- Eye Tracking Our favorite reason to learn forward rolls is the upside down motion they provide, which leads to better eye tracking development and strength (pre-reading skills). Eye tracking is crucial when learning to read. Without great tracking, kids struggle to follow the lines on the page as they read the words from left to right. This means they cannot focus on comprehending the story because they are spending valuable brain time on following the lines on the page! 3- Bilateral Coordination Forward rolls are also a great bilateral coordination activity. Bilateral coordination is when both sides of the body are working together to accomplish a task. This can be by working together (pushing a cart), working in an alternating pattern (climbing stairs), or doing two separate tasks (holding a paper with one hand and scissors with the other). In this example, both sides of the body have to exert equal amounts of force to keep the body centered as the child rolls over. Be sure your child plants both hands firmly on the ground before beginning to roll. As they go over, you can help center their body by holding them at the hips. 4- Core Strength They also increase a child’s core strength, a vital skill when your child is learning to sit up, crawl, walk, run, ride a bike, swim in the pool, or play a sport. Be sure to help your child sit up from the center and strengthen both sides of the body equally. Of course the two biggest reasons to learn a forward roll are for FUN and for CONFIDENCE building. New skills require perseverance to master, and that is one trait we all want our children to have in spades! Children love learning to do things all by themselves and this skill is not only simple, but it is also good for them. Progressions (from beginner to advanced):
1- Rock and Roll (also to and from squatting position) Students simply rock back and forth on their back while maintaining a round shape until they can roll into a squat. The head should stay neutral. 2 - Rock and Roll with Ball Same as the previous activity but with the student holding a ball this time. 3- Candle roll Students roll from a candle balance to a stand (squat) 4- Forward roll down an incline Students start in a squatting position on the top of an incline. 5- Forward roll Students start in a standing position. Put their hands on the floor in front of their toes and look behind them (tucking the chin on chest). Then have them rolling on their rounded back as they stand up. Make sure they do not roll while keeping their head on the floor.
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Mr. Pires PhysedBlog about physical education, health and sports training. Archives
February 2021
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