Literacy and Emotional Regulation: Their Connection to Physical Activity
How Physical Activity, Emotional Regulation, and Literacy Go Together
If you’ve ever noticed your child struggling to toss a ball or touch their toes or struggling to reach across their plate to pick up food with a utensil, you might not realize that these actions are tied to something essential: how well their brain is communicating between both sides of their body.
At the heart of your child’s movement, coordination, and even learning ability is their brain’s ability to send messages from one hemisphere to the other. This ability—often called bilateral integration—is what allows them to reach across their body, coordinate movement, and build strong cognitive skills. But what happens when these connections don’t develop as they should? Let’s explore the science behind movement and learning, and how you can support your child’s development in simple, everyday ways.
The Science Behind Your Child’s Brain: A Team of Two Halves
The brain is divided into two hemispheres, the left and the right, each with its own specialties. While they work together, each hemisphere is responsible for different functions:
Left Brain: Focuses on logic, language, reading, and sequential thinking. It’s the side that helps with structured problem-solving, recognizing patterns in numbers, and forming sentences.
Right Brain: Governs creativity, emotions, spatial awareness, and intuition. It helps with recognizing faces, interpreting tone of voice, and understanding nonverbal communication.
For a child to function well—whether in movement, emotional regulation, or academics—these two hemispheres need to communicate effectively. This happens through a network of nerves called the corpus callosum, which acts like a superhighway sending messages between the two sides.
One of the biggest ways to strengthen this brain-body connection? Encouraging movements that require the right side of the brain to talk to the left side and vice versa.
This is what we may refer to as crossing the midline. If your child cannot cross the midline, odds are they won’t be able to read or regulate their emotions.
Why Reaching Across the Body Is Essential
Think about how you reach for something on your desk. Do you always use the hand closest to the object? Likely not. You naturally reach across with the opposite hand because your brain and body are working together smoothly.
For children, this movement—known as midline crossing—isn’t automatic at first. Babies start by bringing their hands to their mouths, learning how to coordinate movements between both sides of their bodies. As they grow, they begin reaching across for toys, rolling over, crawling, and eventually engaging in activities like writing, dressing, and catching a ball.
When kids don’t develop strong cross-body movement skills, it can impact much more than just motor coordination. It can affect:
Reading & Writing: Tracking words across a page or smoothly moving a pencil from left to right.
Attention & Focus: Efficient brain communication helps with focus, problem-solving, and multitasking.
Fine Motor Skills: Tying shoes, buttoning a coat, and cutting with scissors all require both hands to work together.
Sports & Play: Throwing a ball with the right hand while stepping with the left foot or learning to ride a bike.
Emotional Regulation: The stronger the connection between both sides of the brain, the better children can verbally express their emotions rather than act out impulsively.
How to Tell If Your Child Is Struggling with Cross-Body Coordination
Cross-body movement should feel natural by preschool, but if a child avoids using both sides together, it can signal a need for more practice. Here are some common signs:
Turning their paper sideways so they don’t have to move their writing hand across the page.
Shifting their body instead of reaching across for objects.
Difficulty following moving objects with their eyes (like tracking a balloon or reading across a line of text).
Frequently switching hands when using utensils, crayons, or puzzle pieces.
Struggles with throwing a ball using proper motion (without stepping forward or rotating their trunk).
Building Stronger Brain-Body Connections Through Movement
The good news? You can help strengthen your child’s ability to integrate both sides of their brain with simple, fun activities.
Try these at home:
Cross-Body Crawling: If your child is still a baby, encourage plenty of tummy time and crawling. For older kids, have them do bear crawls or crab walks.
Cross-Lateral Reaching: Do activities (like yoga) where they touch their right hand to their left knee and vice versa.
Painting on an Easel: Large, sweeping motions engage both sides of the brain.
Throwing & Catching Games: Have them step with the opposite foot when throwing.
Ribbon Dancing: Holding a ribbon in one hand and making large looping movements encourages cross-body motion.
Obstacle Courses: Set up challenges that require reaching across, stepping over, or climbing.
Key Takeaways for Parents
Building a strong brain-body connection starts with movement. Encouraging your child to use both sides of their body together—whether in play, sports, or everyday activities—sets the stage for smoother motor skills, stronger academic abilities, and better emotional regulation.
By supporting these natural developmental milestones, you’re not just helping your child move better—you’re helping them think, focus, and express themselves more effectively, too.
So the next time your little one is rolling, reaching, or climbing, remember: They’re not just playing. They’re building the foundation for a lifetime of learning and emotional resilience.
Sources:
Liederman, J. (1983). "Cerebral Asymmetry and Interhemispheric Integration"
Cermak, S.A. (1980). "The Development of Bilateral Coordination and Interhemispheric Communication in Children"
Gabbard, C. (1998). "Windows of Opportunity for Early Brain and Motor Development"
Case-Smith, J. (2000). "Fine Motor and Handwriting Development in Young Children"
