What is midline crossing all about? Let's start right at the beginning. When a baby is born, development takes place from the head downwards, and outwards from the midline. The body's midline is an imaginary line that divides the body into two equal, symmetrical halves.
During the toddler and preschool years, crossing this imaginary line is practiced over and over again with activities such as crawling, climbing and playing with building blocks or doing crafts.
But why is this so important?
Crossing the midline is defined as the ability to reach across the middle of the body with the arms and legs. This helps the child to reach spontaneously to the left side with the right hand, and vice-versa. If this skill is not established while the child is very young, hand dominance is not developed at the right time.
The child will not be able to write from the left hand side of a page to the right hand side without moving the page around. Children often learn odd coping strategies, such as shifting on the chair as they are writing, or twisting the body to work only on the one side. This places enormous pressure on their brain and bodies in any learning situation, especially when they have to write, and they cannot perform as well as they could.
Our unique series of doodle products support the development of this ability. By using our doodle products, especially the lazy eight, double spiral and double triangle boards, your child will get a head start!
Want to improve your child's midline crossing skills? Check out these products.
Now read:
Midline Crossing - Why it is so important
KidSense - Crossing the midline