Chairs Optional!

Many of you may know that for several years now, I have used a program in my classroom in which all of my students have a large exercise ball as a seat instead of a traditional chair.  There is a great deal of research going on to support this type of seating in classrooms, some of which you can read below.  I have had great success with the balls in my class, finding that they improved focus and attention for all of my students, not just the ones who you might assume needed a little more "wiggle room."  The company that I have been most pleased with in both quality and customer service was WittFitt.    They are fantastic, sized specifically for small children, and made with little legs on the bottom which provide extra stability for the kids while they sit, but still giving them the benefits of the ball all around.  I will be organizing a group order for these balls in the next couple weeks if you are interested.  Please consider this as an option for your child, as I feel it makes a tremendous difference in the tone of my classroom when each student is able to have a ball.  I have found that the dark blue ball here was the best option to last for the entire school year and be able to go to second grade as well. Please send me an e-mail at emily_hooker@yahoo.com  if you have any questions regarding this option.


-Mrs. Hooker

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Europe, Canada and United States

Recently, exercise balls have been replacing standard seating in classrooms in Europe and North America. What are the results?

* Students enjoy sitting on them

* Student concentration improves

* Excess energy can burned while students work

* Students become more physically fit

* There is less chair noise to distract other students

Mayo Clinic Study:

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota is known as one of the top medical centers in the world. The Mayo Clinic is always looking for ways to decrease obesity in school children. Bob Nellis of the clinic conducted a study on the benefits of chairless classrooms. "Kids move around. They’re supposed to be active."

The study showed that students with attention problems could focus better using the exercise balls for chairs. The balls allowed movement without making noise and disturbing others. The children that require extra movement get the opportunity to do so silently.

Zion Lutheran School

A private, parochial school in Carver County, Minnesota, found the exercise balls so successful that the school has replaced all classroom chairs with the balls. Principal Deb Kelzer states, "The kids were really excited to come back to school and sit on those balls. I was hesitant at first but I thought, ‘Why not?’ There’s too much sitting around that goes on."