Pencil Roll
The pencil roll is a rotational movement that should be introduced in the early years and typically mastered by Year 2. It’s a foundational gymnastics skill that builds spatial awareness and control. Mastering the pencil roll helps to prepare children for more complex movements like the forward roll and cartwheel, as it develops the body awareness and core strength needed for controlled rotation.
Teaching cues
- Stretch your arms and legs out 'like a tall pencil'
- Squeeze your body tight to stay straight
- Roll slowly while keeping your body strong and straight
- Pretend you're a "pencil rolling across the floor"
Teaching strategies
- Practice lying still in the pencil position before rolling
- Mark a line on the floor and challenge children to roll along it
- Try pencil rolling down a soft incline (e.g., a wedge mat)
- Use imagery: “Can you roll like a pencil across the page?”
- Add challenges like holding the pencil shape for 3 seconds before rolling
- Incorporate pencil rolling into obstacle courses or relays
- Use music and freeze cues (e.g. freeze in pencil shape)
- Add balance challenges: pencil roll, then hold a balance shape
- Combine with other movements (e.g. rock & roll, forward roll)
- Try pencil rolling in different directions (forward, backward, diagonal)
- Work in pairs: "can you pencil roll side-by-side or mirror each other?"
Skill criteria
- Arms stretched straight above the head and legs straight
- Body stays tight and aligned (no bending at knees or hips)
- Rolls smoothly in a straight line
- Controlled start and stop
Common errors
- Arms and legs not squeezed tight
- Bending at hips or knees
- Not rolling in a straight line
