GM.B.94 RUNS FORWARD ON WHOLE FOOT, STIFFLY

In GM.B.79, the child may well have thought of herself as running, but she was really walking in a hurry! True running requires a further extension of balance in standing. Initially it will be a stiff, upright run but gradually, as her balance improves, the child will adopt a more relaxed movement with her body leaning slightly forward.

How to Assess

Method: Encourage your child to run by either chasing her or getting her to chase you or a ball or another child. Score plus if your child runs for at least 2 metres; a stiff, upright run on the whole foot, rather than the toes, can be accepted. The child may have difficulty stopping and turning at this stage.

How to Teach

Start by having 2 people run with your child, either holding a hand.

Run with her, not too fast or you will find that she will only hang from your hands. Run for a few steps and use a verbal direction such as ‘run’, as you gently pull her forward by the hands, to encourage her to step more quickly. As soon as it looks as though she will trip over, slow down until she catches up with her feet, then increase the speed again. Only go short distances initially and gradually increase the distance until she can ‘keep up with her feet’ for a distance of 3 or 4 metres.

Next, use only one person on one side to hold one hand and repeat the same practice as you did holding 2 hands. It will be easier to pull her off-balance holding only one hand. Alternate the hand you hold. As she becomes more confident, hold one hand to start her off, then let her run on her own. Confine your chasing games to a certain area, such as the backyard, as otherwise running away from you may become a problem! Preferably use other children to play chasing with her.

Look ahead to GM.B.121 (runs, stops, turns corners, avoid obstacles). The progression from stiff, upright running to this more mature level of running is very gradual, taking up to a year. Start now to help your child develop her running skills further using the methods described in GM.B.121 and, above all, giving her plenty of practice.