My students need balance ball chairs. When a child sits on a ball chair, they are able to direct their natural kinesthetic energy and need for movement in a positive way.
My students are high energy kids that require significant time to move. With the high demands of the common core, the kids don't have as much time to 'move' as they should. Balance Ball Chairs would enable the kids to move and release energy while learning. It's a win-win for my young learners.
I teach in a small town elementary school with grades prekindergarten to fourth grade.
The students come from all backgrounds with a variety of privileges and needs. My kids are first graders, coming from a kindergarten class size of 16-18, into a class of 22. While the Kinder kids have more free time to move, when they come to first it's a culture shock. I teach in an integrated classroom with a mix of special needs, behavior and models. There has been a trend of increased attention difficulties, requiring increased motor breaks. While I have identified numerous online resources (such as Go Noodle), the kids could benefit from more consistent sensory input. I brought in a sensory ball chair from home to see if it would help a student with occupational and ADD needs and it did. However, one is not enough. I am trying identify a way to help each student in my class while all of 'my kids' deserve the opportunity to move and learn.
My Project
Ideally, each of my students would have a ball chair to use at his/her desk. When a child sits on a ball chair, they are able to direct their natural kinesthetic energy and need for movement in a positive way, because the child on a ball chair has to constantly move his body on the chair to maintain his balance. So rather than squash a child's innate need for movement, ball chairs channel their physical energy in a positive way, allowing them to focus on their work more completely and reach their full potential as learners.
While time on learning has increased, and recess time is minimal (10 minutes per day), my students would benefit from continued movement throughout the day.
This helps to create a sharper mind, less fatigue and increased learning. I will be able to create an environment with less distractions, more movement and improved behavior.
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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. Bringle and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
