Laterality and body schema: how the specific card in the MENTAL game works on this function

It’s common for many parents to notice how their children hesitate before identifying their right or left, or show difficulties orienting themselves in seemingly simple tasks. These small signs shouldn’t be dismissed as unimportant, as they often reflect that the process of laterality has not yet been fully consolidated.

Laterality is a neurodevelopmental process through which the brain organizes a functional preference for one side of the body, including the hand, foot, eye, and ear. It is not just about being right- or left-handed, but about building a stable internal frame of reference that allows the child to orient themselves within their own body and in space.

When this process does not develop properly, the child may experience difficulties in key areas such as motor coordination, spatial orientation, attention, and especially in learning to read and write. For this reason, working on laterality through specific exercises is not only recommended but essential, as it helps prevent learning blocks at key stages of development.

The importance of body schema and right-left orientation

From a neuropsychological perspective, learning development is deeply linked to the organization of the body and space. Before understanding abstract concepts, a child needs to have a well-structured perception of their own body.

Right-left awareness is a fundamental skill that allows a child to orient themselves both within their own body and in their environment. Its proper automation is directly related to fluent reading and organized writing, as it facilitates left-to-right visual tracking and reduces errors such as letter reversals.

Body schema, in turn, is the mental representation of the body in the brain. A poorly defined body schema can result in motor clumsiness, lack of precision in movements, and difficulties in maintaining attention, as the child must devote additional cognitive resources to orienting themselves.

Added to this is the ability to understand external points of view, that is, third-person laterality. This function involves greater cognitive maturity, as it requires skills such as mental rotation, visuospatial integration, and cognitive flexibility. It is especially relevant in school and social contexts, where the child must constantly interpret others’ perspectives.

When these three areas are not well integrated, the child uses a large amount of mental energy on basic orientation tasks, which limits their academic performance and ability to concentrate.

Laterality exercises and activities: how to work on it properly

Laterality training should be systematic, progressive, and adapted to the child’s developmental level. It is not enough to carry out isolated activities; it is necessary to build automatisms through repetition and sensorimotor integration.

Among the most effective exercises are activities for identifying right and left on one’s own body, mirror imitation exercises, movements that cross the body’s midline, and spatial orientation tasks. All of these help strengthen the neural connections involved in lateral organization.

However, one of the main challenges in intervention is a lack of motivation. Many traditional exercises are repetitive or not very engaging, which makes it harder for the child to stay committed and reduces the effectiveness of the training.

MENTAL: an effective tool for working on laterality at home

To address this need, the specialists at Centro Llorens have developed the MENTAL game, a tool designed to turn laterality training into a dynamic and motivating experience.

Unlike other resources, this game is structured to specifically work on right-left awareness, body schema, and the ability to adopt different points of view. In addition, it introduces a component of speed and precision that increases cognitive demand and promotes the automation of these processes.

In this way, the child is not just playing, but actively training key neuropsychological functions essential for their development.

Changes you may notice in everyday life

When laterality is worked on consistently and appropriately, progress is usually gradual but clearly noticeable in everyday life.

At a motor level, coordination improves and clumsiness decreases, which translates into greater confidence in physical activities. In the academic domain, it is common to observe increased reading fluency, fewer writing errors, and better spatial organization on the page.

Orientation skills also improve, allowing the child to follow instructions more easily and function with greater independence. All of this contributes to greater cognitive efficiency, as the brain no longer needs to invest resources in basic positioning tasks and can focus on more complex learning processes.

A professional approach with a neuropsychological foundation

Using tools designed by specialists is key to achieving real results. The MENTAL game, developed in Spain by the team at the Centro Llorens, is based on neuropsychological principles applied to laterality intervention.

Each activity has a specific objective within the developmental process, ensuring that playtime is not only recreational, but also therapeutic.

Ultimately, working on laterality properly not only improves coordination or orientation, but also lays the foundation for more efficient, secure, and autonomous learning.