Columbus, OH: Elem school adds 2 'sensory spaces'; 'we want to get them calmed down'

Oct 30, 2018, Columbus, OH, This Week Community News: Heritage Elementary School: Spaces help calm students, aid learning http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20181030/heritage-elementary-school-spaces-help-calm-students-aid-learning Staff members at Heritage Elementary School recently developed a new way to reward students or quickly calm those experiencing behavioral lapses while also supplementing classroom learning. … Two “sensory spaces” have been developed by teachers and staff at the school to develop reading and math skills, to reward good behavior and provide “brain breaks” for students who might have extra energy to release or who are having trouble staying on task with their classmates. … Another sensory space referred to as the busy board has a number of locks, knobs, slide bolts, faucets and such students can manipulate to redirect their focus. … Additionally, the space has elements where students work string through holes in pieces of foam adhered to walls, and even a series of locks that students stop to unlock using keys and combinations. … “Typically, if they are angry or frustrated or whatever, we want to get them calmed down immediately,” said Lori Starkey a paraprofessional educator at Heritage. “So, we’ll have them do a bear crawl or a crab walk. …