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Does Sitting Still Help Students Learn?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sue Wilkinson on
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NO! (That is a screaming...Nooooooooo!)
When kids are told to "sit still and pay attention", their cognitive energy goes toward trying to sit STILL. As a child, I became quite discrete at getting movement opportunities. Like a beaver, I chewed all of the wood off my pencils. I also loved chewing on those pink tipped erasers, because gum was NEVER allowed. This is why I love the ChewEase Pencil Toppers.I became an avid doodler, too. That is why I still love most things fidgety. I really adore those Squash Its. Some teachers are taping them under a students desk top...so, fidgeting is more discrete(!)
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Permalink Reply by Sherrie Rose Maleson on -
No! If the kids are getting wiggly, I know they need to wiggle more. Change up the activity, include more movement. The movement they are engaging in is developing more neural connections in their brains!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Brook on -
I know first hand that this is sooooooo not true for my daughter who does her Speech Therapy swinging for this very reason. She can only really attend and therefore learn, if she's moving. So we have to be creative. But it IS how she learns.
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Permalink Reply by Jill Couri on -
I think that the right answer to this question has to be based on each individual child. For some, sitting still takes far more effort and concentration than the actual learning process. My daughter is this way. On the other hand, there are those that need stillness in order to concentrate. I, myself am one of these types of people. I often find myself telling my daughter, as a knee-jerk reaction to "hold still!" in different settings. But I realize that my approach often needs tweaking. I am challenged to do this daily, sometimes exasperatingly, but with a healthy dose of understanding that I must help her learn in a way that tenders a love of learning and makes her feel comfortable. :)
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Permalink Reply by Marilyn F. Hays, Ph.D. on -
As anyone with knowledge of brain-based learning techniques knows, it is that keeping students sitting still for long periods of time defeats learning. It is so important, in general, to vary types of activity. Not only should a sitting activity be interspersed with stretch breaks or some type of movement activity, but a teacher needs to be aware of each student's needs in that area. As Sue pointed out, some students will find means of satisfying their own sensory needs. One student I had needed movement, and he found a chair with a wiggely leg, so he would move the chair so that his needs were met. We wondered why he would go out of his way to find that chair and use it. That is, until we put it all together with the OT's help and then, "Voila!!!!"
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That is a great example, Dr Hays...and it made me laugh with agreement! So picture this kid searching through all the chairs to find the one that was the perfect sensory fit for his needs. This makes totally love Jill Couri's response since she is illustrating 2 core concepts:
- Each person uses sensory strategies that work for them, so sitting still is a sensory need of some
- Be careful that you are not imposing your sensory needs on others. As an example, there are teachers that have sensory difficulty with the movement that occurs when their students are on chair balls.
So what do you do when your sensory needs are not a match for the child's sensory needs?
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Permalink Reply by Julie Bush on
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I recently went to an Inquiry project where the teacher replaced all her chairs with therapy balls. These students had behavioral problems and it really helped them focus better on the assignments and they thought it was fun at the same time. It was a net project that worked well with her students.
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Permalink Reply by Debbie Brooks on
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Children definitely need body movement activities. This helps them learn much more by engaging brain cells. Some students do much better work when they are not sitting down. It's a great idea to incorporate some type of body movement activity when changing from one subject to another, say from reading time to math time.
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Permalink Reply by Becky D. Smith on
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Thank goodness for School Specialty products. I have been able to find numerous materials to help those little ones who absolutely cannot sit still while trying to learn. Look around at a workshop, in college classes, in church, etc. Are we, as adults, sitting absolutely still while learning and if so, are we awake. ? I am impressed with the quick exercises Brain Gym has to offer and how the movements encourage students to "wake up and learn". Thank you, School Specialties for all your products.
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Permalink Reply by Emilie on
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Emilie said:Great points! I am an OT in the school setting, and many of the children I work with seek movement. I seek movement and am also a high energy person, but I have some ideas for when children have different sensory needs than the adults who provide their education/services:
1. Remember that the children's needs come first, but your needs are also important. Just as others have commented about movement seekers focusing better on exercise balls, you will also perform better when your sensory needs are met.
1a. If a kid who seeks movement is driving you crazy, send him/her to the office for an errand. (Send a buddy along if you think the child will have trouble returning on his/her own.)
1b. If you experience sensory overload, have someone cover your classroom while you go to the bathroom or breakroom to escape to a few minutes of quietness.
2. Organize your daily schedule where there is an alternating variety of sensory experiences, so everyone (seekers, avoiders, and everyone in between) will have times of a break and times of activity (whether they prefer quiet or movement activities).
2a. My best friend, who first taught kindergarten, used this strategy. The class schedule looked a little like this: breakfast, calendar time (aka sit in a big group on the floor and listen to/participate with the teacher), centers (small groups at small tables, where the students switch to the next of about 5 centers after a few minutes), back to the rug for alphabet song (paired with movement), yoga for about 5 minutes (standing in their place on the rug; helped calm them back down), individual desk for lesson and work, specials-art, music, etc outside of classroom, and so on.
Sue Wilkinson said:That is a great example, Dr Hays...and it made me laugh with agreement! So picture this kid searching through all the chairs to find the one that was the perfect sensory fit for his needs. This makes totally love Jill Couri's response since she is illustrating 2 core concepts:
- Each person uses sensory strategies that work for them, so sitting still is a sensory need of some
- Be careful that you are not imposing your sensory needs on others. As an example, there are teachers that have sensory difficulty with the movement that occurs when their students are on chair balls.
So what do you do when your sensory needs are not a match for the child's sensory needs?
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Permalink Reply by April Kauth on
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Depends on the child and the challenges that each child faces sitting I can only speak of my own son (SPD) who finds if he is required to sit he uses his weighted lap pad over his legs. I purchased one for the classroom and one for home, and the larger/heavier size. It seems to work for him.Still he prefers to stand while completing homework and sit in his beanbag chair at home when we read stories.He is 5yrs old. In general i hope teachers will allow children to stand if necessary not require all students to "Sit Still" as for some it is impossible and frustratrating when they can't concentrate because they are so focussed on keeping still and seated.
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Permalink Reply by Martianne Stanger on
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I so do not believe it does. as a classroom teacher, I always encouraged a lot of movement in my classrooms and found that parents consistently commented that their kids did better in my room than elsewhere, why? Um, movement!
as a homeschooler, most of my young children's learning happens through movement.
as a person, I know I often need to be moving while I am learning. Even as a young child, I liked to do move as I read, wrote, took notes, etc.
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