As pediatric occupational and physical therapists, we believe in the power of movement! We believe that if students have the opportunity to choose alternative seating options throughout their school day, their bodies (and minds) will be awake and ready to learn!
We know that a multi-sensory approach to learning contributes to better learning outcomes, attention, and behavior. Just as adults need to get up and take a walk or pace the room while we think and brainstorm, kids also need outlets for moving and fidgeting during the school day.
Physical activity and movement are correlated with higher academic performance, better overall health, and improved behavior. And the benefits don’t end there! Alternative seating can also promote core strength, balance, coordination, and posture!
Kids simply aren’t meant to sit still all day long…none of us are!
That’s why we created Wiggle Worms: A Printable Guide to Alternative Seating in the Classroom.
This printable resource is packed with information that can help teachers, therapists, and others implement alternative seating strategies in their classrooms that will:
-Increase students’ focus and attention
-Give students a sense of autonomy and responsibility
-Boost classroom engagement, participation, and morale
-And promote other important developmental skills including: balance, sensory processing, core strength, coordination, and more!
Price: $15.99
If you have always been interested in using alternative seating options in your classroom, but you’ve hesitated because you’re afraid kids will get too distracted or misuse the seating tools – this guide is for you.
If you are constantly being approached in the hallways of the school by teachers asking for help with supporting kids who can’t stop fidgeting, or students who can’t attend – this guide is for you.
If you’re already on board with the idea of alternative seating options in the classroom, but you have no idea where to start when it comes to getting funding for seating – this guide is for you.
If you’re interested in taking a more inclusive approach to your therapy practice this year – providing services in the classroom that provide lasting benefits for all students – this guide is for you.
Inside this simple resource, you’ll find:
The Benefits of Alternative Seating – Learn about why kids fidget and about the many benefits of using alternative seating in the classroom. From sensory implications to motor benefits and more, inside the guide you’ll find lots of information to support alternative seating options.
Seating Options and Descriptions – Familiarize yourself with some of the seating options that are available for use in the classroom and read about the specific benefits of each so you can find the best fit for each child.
Tips for Introducing Alternative Seating – Implementing an alternative seating strategy requires thinking and planning ahead. This guide walks you through:
-The steps of introducing new seating options so they can be used effectively and responsibly by students
-Ensuring appropriate sizing of alternative seating options
-Encouraging functional posture at school
-Securing funding for new seating options
Printable Materials
-An alternative seating contract
-A letter to parents about alternative seating
-Rules regarding alternative seating options
-A page for students to use to identify which type of seating is a fit for how they’re feeling
-Movement break cards for the classroom
Price: $15.99
