The body as a vector of knowledge: the psychomotor approach in the development of the school-age child

Human learning is closely linked to sensory and motor experiences. The body, with its movement, is not only a vehicle for exploring the world, but also an essential tool for the construction of knowledge (Barsalou, 2008; Wilson, 2002;). The most recent neuroscientific and pedagogical research supports the extent to which body plays, and motor activity plays a crucial role in the harmonious development of a child’s cognitive and relational processes (Goodway et al., 2019). Indeed, through the body in action, not only motor skills can be improved, but complex cognitive skills such as problem solving, creativity and critical thinking can be enhanced (Gardner, 1993; Kontra et al., 2012). From this point of view, the psychomotor approach, working on the enhancement of perceptual integration, motor control and tactile,visual and proprioceptive exploration, is configured as an elective didactic methodology, with significant implications for the child’s learning and general wellbeing, especially at the entrance to primary school.The pleasantness and naturalness of spontaneous motor investment builds a multidimensional bridge between physical experience and learning processes (Impara, 2019), fostering physical literacy and play literacy, and stimulating skills such as coordination and socialization (Colella, et al. 2024). The present contribution aims to explore the implications and results of the possible use of play-experiential strategies included within the curricular teaching practices in the first two years of primary school, in order to recognise the body, in accordance with the scientific literature of reference, as a primary instrument of knowledge. The possible educational implementation of motor workshops designed according to a psychomotor model, will require a sensitive and articulated design capable of overcoming the prevailing fragmentary logic of classical interventions, in favour of methodological variants characterized by a flexible, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary vision.