Balls provide stability in classroom
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
HAVING A BALL WHILE LEARNING — Robin Norsworthy’s fifth-grade class at Zippel Elementary School is one of 16 in seven school districts across Aroostook County participating in the Wittfitt Pilot Project, which has integrated stability balls in the classroom. Here, students, from left: William Bridges, Carter Rice, Jun Marie Gove and Lisa Stiber work together as a group while sitting on the balls which are meant to help improve the students’ posture, strengthen their core and improve learning.
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — When fifth-grade teacher Robin Norsworthy walks into her classroom at Zippel Elementary School each morning, she can’t help but smile as she’s “greeted” by blue and yellow stability balls that are perched on her students’ desks.
“It’s like coming into a room full of bubbles,” she said, noting that the balls are inflated to match the students’ height. “The yellow balls are for the taller students, while the blue ones are for the shorter children.”
Norsworthy’s class is one of 16 in seven school districts across Aroostook County participating in the Wittfitt Pilot Project, which has integrated stability balls in the classroom. The project is funded with a grant from the United Way of Aroostook.
Norsworthy’s students have been using the stability balls since January.
“It’s been excellent,” she said. “They’ve been on them full-time for about a month. At first we started by having them sit on them for 10-15 minutes, then went for a half-hour to 45 minutes, and then went to a full day,” said Norsworthy, noting that students have the option of sitting in a regular chair. “I’ve only had one child opt out for just a matter of a few minutes to be in a chair and then he went right back on his stability ball.
“They’re very happy on them,” she said. “It’s much quieter in here and transitioning into pairs or into small groups has been amazingly quiet in comparison to the chairs. That’s been a bigger change than I had anticipated.”
WORKING ON THEIR SCIENCE PACKETS while sitting on stability balls are fifth-graders in Robin Norsworthy’s class at Zippel Elementary School. About 320 students from throughout The County are using the stability balls in the classroom thanks to the Wittfitt Pilot Project, which is funded with a grant from the United Way of Aroostook.
Norsworthy attended a workshop about a year ago on the Wittfitt stability balls, and after seeing a video and sample ball, she knew she wanted to participate in the pilot project.
“The advantages are the students have to sit up straight in order to be able to balance on the balls; if you don’t keep your feet on the floor, you can fall,” she said. “Sitting straight brings more oxygen to your brain and it strengthens your core, and it’s supposed to help your writing, test scores and do a better job — overall — in school.”
When the students go to lunch, attend classes outside of their regular classroom or go home for the day, the balls are placed on top of their desks.
Pre-stability ball data was collected through handwriting and baseline tests.
“We’re due right about now — midway through — to do another one where they’ll do the same handwriting piece and the same baseline test,” said Norsworthy. “At the end of the program, they’ll do it again and we’ll be able to measure the changes, and ACAP will be doing a study based on those results.”
Student Torey Levesque said the class was very excited when they found out they would be participating in the pilot project.
“We were jumping all around,” he said, “even though we didn’t know much about stability balls at the time.
“I think I’ve seen some improvements since using the stability ball like with my penmanship and grades because the blood goes to the brain and helps you think better,” said Levesque. “They’re pretty soft and comfortable; but it did take a little while getting used to. It would be great if all grades used them. It will be a hard transition back to the chairs after using them for so long.”
Allison Madore said the stability balls are “cool and fun to sit on.”
“I think my posture is better because you’ve got to keep both feet flat on the floor and your knees at a right angle,” she said. “They’re easy to use and they’re really quiet. Before if we were concentrating and taking a test and somebody had to get up, you could hear the chair move and it was distracting, but with the balls, you don’t notice the sound as much.”
“I used to slouch,” said Amelia Theriault, “but now my posture is better. I’m sitting up straighter. I think my handwriting is better too because the ball stabilizes you so you can write better and have more balance.”
Theriault said she wishes she could use the stability ball outside of school, as well.
“We have our meals at the dining room table and those chairs are higher and harder,” she said. “It would be nice to have a stability ball at home. I would choose a stability ball over a wooden or plastic chair any day.”
Norsworthy, who also uses a stability ball some each day, said based on what she’s seen from the students thus far, she’d like to have next year’s students start out on the balls at the beginning of the school year.
“The students are happier, it’s quieter and socially they just move about and get into small groups, sit on them, and talk. When they get ready to work, they stop moving so much,” said Norsworthy, admitting that it took about a week for the novelty to wear off.
“I cannot honestly think of a downside to having them in the classroom,” she said. “Anyone that wants to listen to me I basically tell them how much I love it and how much I recommend it. It’s great.”
Aroostook County has one of the highest obesity rates in the state. For this reason, Healthy Maine Partnerships in Aroostook County have been addressing obesity since 2001. A committee was formed in 2008 to specifically address youth obesity, known as Let’s Go! Aroostook. Let’s Go! Aroostook’s goal is to increase physical activity and healthy eating for children from birth to age 18.
“Piloting teachers are passionate about improving the health of their students,” said Reegan Brown, ACAP community education specialist for Healthy Aroostook. “We’re trying to prove that by incorporating physical activity, the students will show better posture, pay better attention and so on. This was piloted in a couple schools in southern Maine and those were some of the results they saw from using stability balls in the classroom.
“Let’s Go! Aroostook will be working with the school health coordinators to collect pre, interim and post data that will hopefully show those improvements that we’re looking for … that stability ball integration in the classroom not only improves learning results but allows children to move while learning,” she said. “We’re excited to be working with area teachers who are really dedicated to improving the health of their students. We need to find creative ways to keep our children physically active, and I think using stability balls is one way to do that.”
About 320 students from throughout The County are using the stability balls in the classroom.
