Help Me Bring Fun, Focus, and Fidgets to Reluctant Readers!
My students need 10 yoga balls to help them stay focused and have a way to fidget when needed. They are to replace the hard plastic chairs students sit in each day.
Do you remember what it was like to sit in a hard plastic chair for extensive amounts of time in class simply needing to move? Help me solve that issue for my students by getting yoga balls as chairs that will allow them to move and fidget and not feel like an outcast for their inability to sit still.
My students are in intensive reading and many of them hate to even look at a book.
They are often fidgety and a number of them have exceptionalities that make it hard to stay still and focus. Often, they criticize themselves and say they are not smart because they are in an intensive class. They are stereotyped by their peers and at times will emulate that stereotype as a result of giving up on themselves. The yoga balls would give them a safe way to move and not feel restricted while staying at their desks and not drawing attention to themselves. It will allow students the ability to try a new way to help them focus and will create excitement, instead of apprehension when they walk into reading class. We are part of an arts school and my students often learn in unique ways. Having the ability to gently rock and read, bounce and read, or to even set a ball on the floor and sit next to it to have a place to lean against while they read, can change a task that many see as tedious.
My Project
Replacing stationary seats with inflatable bouncers has been proven to raise productivity. The balls allow students to gain a better ability to focus on lessons while improving their balance and core strength. By making the sitter work to stay balanced, the balls force muscle engagement and increased blood flow, leading to more alertness.
In 2003, a study was published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy concluding that in students with ADHD, sitting on therapy balls improved behavior and legible word productivity. They were able to sit still, focus and write more words clearly. The Mayo Clinic also completed a study, which focused on improving learning and reducing obesity by making children more active, and found that the ability to move around more while sitting made the students more attentive. That means that students can focus on learning and improve their reading skills as a result. For reluctant readers, that is a goal they strive for every day.
I walk around my room every day watching students tapping feet, getting up every few minutes, rocking their chairs back, squeaking desks, just about anything to help them sooth the need to move.
"Having a ball" (pun intended) will make learning fun and provide students a way to stay alert, improve posture, and be able to move without worrying about being off task, being a distraction, or being singled out. Your donation can help these students gain the confidence they have been missing.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Flores and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
