When students sit on stability balls, their brains are engaged in keeping their bodies centered on the balls. Students are able to focus more on learning. Not only is the brain better for processing new info, young minds are also better able to concentrate on exams, note taking, classwork, etc.
My students are a very active, diverse group of 8th grade mathematics and AVID students.
I teach 100-120 students each day. Our student population each year is 60-80% free and reduced lunch with 30-40% of them working toward being first generation college students.
My Project
With these tables and stability balls, my students will be able to work collaboratively and learn with movement.
A study published in the October 2003 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found that students with attention challenges, such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder, tended to focus better when using stability balls instead of chairs. The study revealed that students behaved better and that language skills improved, and that students and teachers preferred the use of stability balls in the classroom instead of chairs. Fidgeting helps children with ADHD concentrate, and just a little movement on the stability balls can meet their demands for expelling excess energy. Teachers who swapped out traditional chairs for stability balls and even stationary exercise bikes noticed a change in posture, enthusiasm for reading and other desk work and paying attention in general, according to a 2010 article in Education World. -Livestrong.com
Students will be able to improve their focus, incorporate movement, work collaboratively and get excited about being in math class because it will be different from all their other classes.
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