My students need sensory rich seating options and hand fidgets to help them be more comfortable in our kindergarten classroom. We need soft seats, squeeze balls, balance disc and more.
I teach in a rural farm town in Illinois, where I encourage students to find their inner leader and celebrate their differences. Students in my classroom are full of life and eager to learn. It is important to me that the kindergarten students in my room learn through hands-on experiences which allow them to express themselves and problem solve without immediate intervention from an adult.
It is important that my students do not lose their love for learning in kindergarten.
Right now there are a lot of programs that are forcing kindergarten students to learn through curriculum that is too rigorous and inappropriate. I am working hard to follow the curriculum but keeping it fun and engaging for my students.
My Project
Students in my kindergarten class have been very vocal about their need to be more comfortable this year and I couldn't agree more with them. 5 year old children are not built to sit still in chairs for hours and hours every day, but this is what is being expected of them on a daily basis. I am asking for scoop rockers, soft seats, wiggle cushions and hand fidgets to help my students in their quest to be active listeners in our classroom.
I strongly believe that when a student advocates for him/herself, we have to listen and respond appropriately.
These seating options will help my students find places around the classroom to sit that are comfortable, engaging and allow for movement. Research has shown time and time again that children who are presented with the opportunity to actively listen tend to have higher achievement rates; and the seating options that I have requested will present my students with the opportunity for active listening on a daily basis. The hand fidgets will be an added bonus for those students who have autism or ADD/ADHD. Hand fidgets help keep their hands busy, while their brain is working and learning. I am excited to give my students the opportunities they are asking for and appreciate your consideration of my project.
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