Get Your Crawl On
Without a doubt, we live in a busy world. Hopping from activity to activity, working late, multiple social events on the calendar—and that’s not including the reoccurring things like attempting to keep up with laundry and stocking the fridge with fresh goodies from the grocery store. This can easily bleed over into other aspects of life, creating a bit of a “what’s next” mindset. “When will my baby walk?” “Shouldn’t they be talking yet?” “When will my child learn to read?”…and the list goes on.
Knowing how easy this mindset is to succumb to, it is important that parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators do not skip a very important developmental stage: Crawling.
Seems like something that wouldn’t have negative repercussions, right? Something that might actually be a bragging right from one parent to the next? (“Well, my baby just went straight to walking”) What many people do not know is that crawling is essential for children’s cognitive, physical and emotional development. Skipping crawling is skipping a milestone!
Let’s take a look at why you should not rush through the wiggly wobbly wonder of the crawling stage.
Crawling for Brain Power
When babies crawl, they’re not simply getting mobile in order to reach the thing you took away from them that they desperately want back. Babies are literally building better brains. The crawling motion—where you use an opposing hand and knee in tandem—activates both sides of the brain. A study from the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology agrees that crawling helps integrate primitive reflexes and form the connections needed for later skills in life–skills such as reading, writing, and even the ability to focus!
We know how important crawling is here at Summit Preparatory Academy. Call today to schedule a visit to our toddler and baby rooms! We are ready and well equipped to keep your baby safe and learning at each stage.
Core Strength, Coordination & More
Have you ever tried crawling as an adult? It is a mini full-body workout! While crawling, Babies are building core strength, improving hand-eye coordination, and strengthening their shoulder and hip joints. In doing so they are preparing their body for the future activities of walking, running, and climbing!
This is not simply important so your child can thrive on the playground. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, motor development is foundational for academic readiness, and crawling plays a pivotal role in developing those motor patterns.
Here at Summit Prep Academy, we aim to support your little one in every facet of their growth—physically, emotionally, and intellectually! Schedule a tour today to chat about our schedules, outside time, learning philosophies and curriculum—we would love to share!
Vision & Spatial Awareness
Crawling doesn’t just strengthen muscle and joints but their eyes, too! Babies track their hands as they crawl, which in turn builds upon the visual tracking skills that are vital for reading. They also develop the ability to judge distances and understand how their bodies move in space, building crucial spatial awareness.
An article from Pathways.org also asserts that crawling supports both binocular vision and depth perception, setting children up to later read and move their body!
We have a plethora of excellent toys and activities for our crawlers here at Summit Prep. Come by for a tour and see learning, and crawling, in action!
Social-Emotional Growth
Crawling is truly the first step (pun intended) to independence in babies. While that might sound premature, this independence fosters confidence and a sense of autonomy that will serve them well as they grow. Crawling can also encourage interaction with other children and set the stage for social development and later cooperative play—be it with siblings, friends, or classmates in an early childhood education scenario. Zero to Three supports this thought and states that early movement lays the groundwork for later social success.
Here at Summit Preparatory Academy, we incorporate tummy time and crawling opportunities in our daily schedule! Schedule a tour today and check out our infant and toddler rooms, meet our educators, and take a look at our daily and weekly schedules.
What If My Child Doesn’t Crawl?
If you’re baby seems to be attempting to skip the crawling stage (or they already have) –don’t panic! Chat with your pediatrician and see what next steps you might take. You can also continue to encourage crawling through play-based learning and floor time!
We are happy to support your family and the growth and development of you little on here at Summit Prep Academy. Call today and let us know how we can help your child grow!
Crawling Today, Confidence Tomorrow
Crawling may seem like a quick blip in your baby’s early childhood development. However, it is a foundational stage that shouldn’t be skipped and can support everything from academics to emotional regulation! In recognizing the importance of crawling, parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators can set children up to move forward –first on all fours and then on two feet—and be ready to take on the world.
Here at Summit Preparatory Academy we value every milestone and place emphasis on the fact that learning is play! We take every opportunity to create an environment that is safe and ready for your child to sit, crawl, walk and play through each milestone—taking the time to grow in and through each one. Schedule a tour today!