Does Using Balance Balls as Classroom Chairs Improve Student Attention?
Reference Desk researchers found a number of resources that suggest balance balls (or stability balls) may have a positive impact on student attention for some students, as measured by indicators such as on-task behavior and time on task. For example, results from one resource found that “students who sat on the stability ball improved in one or more of the following: (a) flexibility and range of motion, (b) strength and stability, (c) balance, (d) posture, (e) squirminess, and (f) ability to stay on task” (Witt, 2001; see below). In addition, studies of the use of therapy balls by students with disabilities report benefits for students with autism (Schilling, 2004; see below) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Schilling, 2003; see below). Note that although three of the resources listed below were retrieved from websites of two balance ball vendors, this Digest does not constitute an endorsement of these products.
