Posted Sept 15, 2011
L a u ra Weijland was among a group of parents jolted by surprise at Wrightwood Elementary’s backto-school night when she walked into her children’s classroom to find all the chairs missing.
In place of the traditional seats were blue and green stability balls, like the one Weijland uses in her yoga workouts.
Teacher Dawn Coberly had chosen the parent night to unveil stability balls as the new permanent seats for her third- and fourth-graders, an innovative idea that had been brewing since she had read a newspaper article on the trend last year. All the research pointed to promising results in boosting student engagement and improving posture, but Coberly and her school’s n ew p r i n c i p a l , Jo h n Garner, weren’t sure how parents would react.
Weijland, whose twin 8-year-old girls are in the class, responded enthusiastically.
“I loved it. I thought it was such a good idea — very, very out of the box,” Weijland said. “I think the kids can move a little bit without being too disruptive, it definitely helps them with their posture and strengthening their core … and it livens up the classroom.”
She was joined by other parents excited about the change, including adults eager to try the balls out for themselves and some who vowed to get one for their office cubicle.
“I was a little apprehensive about it at first, but the parents have been very receptive,” Garner said. “I was really impressed with Mrs. Coberly’s willingness to try something new, to introduce a creative way to help these students who have struggled in the traditional classroom setting.”
Research across the country has found stability balls can positively impact the classroom by increasing on-task behavior and reducing the squirminess of students. The balls require students to focus on balancing and sitting up straight so they don’t fall to the floor, while enabling fidgety students to get their jitters out through subtle bouncing. Several studies specifically cited how stability balls benefit students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“There are kids that have a hard time staying on task, the kids that want to stand on the floor to work, stand on their chair,” Coberly said. “With the balls I was like, ‘Wow, they can be in constant movement and they’re still working.'”
Initially parent Wende Owen was skeptical about ditching the chairs.
“I was a little wary of the idea, but I was intrigued,” she said. “My first thought was there was no way that my kids would ever be able to sit still on a ball like that in class — he’s way too active — and I thought that’s the craziest idea.”
Her view shifted after she perused some medical journals and her son’s psychiatrist gave her positive feedback.
“I actually found that it was the exact opposite and it actually helps kids who have problems concentrating,” Owen said. “You couldn’t find a reason not to integrate them other than cost.”
Owen grew so convinced that when Coberly told her about the plan, she offered to help pay for the stability balls, which cost about $20 each. Coberly also put her $200 Parent Teacher Group annual supply fund toward the balls. The students are doing a recycling drive to help pay Owen back.
Just a few weeks in, the balls have students bragging to their friends and sounding like Pilates instructors.
“It helps you engage your body more,” Mitchell Owen, 9, said. “It kind of makes you think better, and it’s more fun. It really helps me concentrate and I don’t talk to my neighbors as much as last year.”
Eight-year-old Lucy McKenzie said she was “really, really, really excited” about the balls because they’re both fun and good for her schoolwork.
“Like you’re balancing on the balls so then it makes your brain concentrate,” she said. “They help you sit up better, like better than a chair.”
The day Coberly introduced the balls to students, she let them play “to their heart’s content” for about 10 minutes before settling down and coming up with ground rules for their spherical seats. Students must sit with their back arched and feet flat on the floor, keep sharp objects away and refrain from touching their neighbor’s ball. If they break a rule, they lose their ball for a week.
“It’s working exactly the way I wanted it to,” Coberly said, noting only one child has opted for a chair. “It’s amazing. I think every teacher should try it.”
©2011 the Daily Press (Victorville, Calif.)