Using Dance and Movement Activities to Enhance the Coordination and Socialisation Skills of Primary School Children with Dyslexia

Abstract

Educators today are familiar with the signs and symptoms of dyslexia where the academic issues of reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic is concerned. There are many programs and international curricula to assist and help children suffering from dyslexia function and progress academically very well. The area of dyslexia which is also prominent in child suffers, however not nearly as frequently addressed is physical coordination. Children suffering from dyslexia have trouble with their overall gross motor coordination. Furthermore they have trouble with their sense of left and right, sense of direction in relationship to body in space, short-term memory, scheduling, and getting to the right place at the right time. Movement Games, Activities and Dances are enrichment activities, which require the child’s full body participation. These activities help to enhance the child’s sense of direction, memory, sequencing, location of body in space, and overall gross motor coordination skills. Furthermore, these activities serve to enhance the child’s social and emotional growth through participating in a group.