Top 5 Benefits of Offering Flexible Seating in Kindergarten
Flexible seating has become a recent trend in education. As teachers try to reach the different needs of learners, flexible seating is another way to allow children to comfortably be engaged in learning.
Some professionals are beginning to note that children are often more engaged in their learning when flexible seating options are offered within the classroom. Therefore, we will highlight the benefits that come along with offering flexible seating in kindergarten.
1. Physical Health
Children need to move. Flexible seating allows them to wobble, rock, bounce, lean or stand, which increases oxygen flow to the brain, blood flow and core strength. In turn, this burns more calories and increases metabolism. It also helps keep young minds more alert and focused.
It’s no surprise that physical activity is linked to higher academic performance, better health, and improved behaviour. An academic paper by Matthew T. Mahar, et al, found that simple in-class activities can boost performance. Studies suggest that children who participate in short bouts of physical activity within the classroom have more on-task behaviour, too.
2. Comfort
Uncomfortable children are distracted and unproductive children. For example, picture a child who skipped or didn’t have access to breakfast. As the countdown to lunch approaches, the sound of his or her growling stomach will make it impossibly hard to hear the teacher’s voice. An uncomfortable chair can have the same effect.
Flexible seating encourages children to find their best spot to stay calm, focused and productive. As one teacher said, “There is no better way to show your support for a child-centred classroom, than creating a classroom from a child’s point of view.” In her opinion, comfortable children are engaged children.
3. Commitment to Learning
While research on flexible seating is limited, it’s clear that learning environments can have a direct impact on children achievement.
A 2012 study from the University of Minnesota found that children participated 48 per cent more in discussions in a classroom with collaborative group seating versus traditional lecture-style seating, and also improved their performance on standardized tests.
How does this connect with flexible seating? Flexible seating somehow allows the children to stay vested in the task, and their behaviour is equally positive. They are willing to work with others, share ideas and move around the room.
Besides that, flexible seating provides enough options for everyone, and they take their comfortable seats wherever they go. With so many options, the children can find what works best for them in the room.
4. Fun
When we give the control of the room to the children. They choose where they want to sit daily. There is a variety of high, medium and low seating, including a couch, seating cushions, camp chairs, small rugs and stand-up tables.
The children are able to choose where they sit daily, but wherever they choose to sit, it helps make learning fun, which might indirectly change the children’s attitude toward kindergarten, they will become more willing to come to kindergarten and learn.
5. Community
Traditional desks can make children territorial or possessive over their space and supplies. Flexible seating encourages children to share both. And, it encourages them to take turns in different locations and with different seating options.
It also helps to training children’s higher-order thinking and communication skills, like problem-solving, emotional control skills and conflict resolution. There’s also much value in switching seats — especially for a generation of kids immersed in immediate gratification.
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