How strong is the sensory-motor connection to the academic success of children? Why do they fall out of chairs, hold their pencils tightly, chew their shirts, and squirm constantly? What can I do to make a difference? The Ready Bodies, Learning Minds program emphasizes how motor and sensory development provide the central nervous system with the ability to perform the many tasks necessary for independence, behavioral control, and academic achievement. If the reflexive-vestibular-proprioceptive-tactile system is not functioning optimally, the student has a limit base of body knowledge and skills on which to build. Limited attention span, poor posture, difficulty sustaining equilibrium, poor coordination of sequential movements, restlessness, problems with spatial relationships and slow