GM.A.64 WALKS SIDEWAYS ALONG A WALL

In this skill we are almost at walking! Your child is taking full weight on her feet and is using only the support of a flat hand on an upright surface to balance.

How to Assess

Method: Place your child standing facing a flat wall and direct her to walk, perhaps to see a picture. Repeat to the other side. Score plus if your child can walk sideways using the wall for support for 1.5 metres to both sides.

How to Teach

Find some bright, interesting pictures or a wall frieze and stick them to a flat wall at your child’s eye level. Stand your child facing the wall a metre from the picture. Point to the picture and use a direction such as ‘Walk to the picture’. Wait to see if she will step alone (she should already be cruising confidently around furniture). If she doesn’t, help her to move 1 foot in the direction of the picture, and wait for her to move the other (see GM.A.56 for transferring weight off the leg before moving it). Keep her hands on the wall and discourage her from twisting around to hold onto you. You may need to place 1 hand for her, but wait for her to place the other on her own. Neither her hands nor her feet should get too far ahead of the other. lf they do, remind her, saying ‘Move your hands’ or ‘Step your feet’. This skill can be fun to do with big sister on the other side of a full-length glass window or door.

Your child will enjoy walking along to squash noses against the window with a friend!

Make sure you practise to both sides.