*Upper Valley, VT: 5th grade without chairs; "stability balls" help kids pay attention

Jan 29, 2018, White River Junction (VT) Valley News: Valley’s Students Sit or Stand in Class in Any Number of Ways http://www.vnews.com/Schools-offer-unconventional-seating-arrangements-15106611 In Abby Harrington’s fifth-grade class on Thursday morning, no one slumped over on their desks. No one leaned back in their chairs, or slid down in their chairs or squirmed around in their chairs — because most of the roughly 20 kids in the Thetford Elementary School classroom had no chairs. Instead, they had stability balls, a form of alternative seating that school special educator Kristen Hansen described as “basically yoga balls with udders.” Typically, in-school stability balls have been geared toward students who have trouble sitting still throughout the school day, the fidgeters and wigglers who tend to concentrate better when they can move around, Hansen said in a phone call last week. “Especially for students with ADHD, it works well for them. … Sitting for too long, for kids with excess energy, is excruciatingly painful — for them and for myself.” But many Upper Valley educators, including Harrington, feel that a student doesn’t need an official diagnosis to reap the benefits of going chair-free. Stability balls, for example, encourage constant, low-level physical activity and are thought to build core strength. This is the second year stability balls have been in general use in her classroom. She and Hansen both said that the balls seem to improve students’ mood and energy levels. … A number of research studies have suggested that stability balls can improve attention, reduce hyperactivity and increase time spent on-task for students with difficulties in these areas. …