Philadelphia elementary school ditches desk chairs for yoga balls

A suburban Philadelphia teacher has decided to ditch the desk chairs for her fifth-grade students and replace them with stability balls.

Robbi Giuliano, a teacher at Westtown-Thornbury Elementary School, suggests that sitting on the brightly colored bouncy balls will help students focus better on their lessons while simultaneously building core strength.

The Associated Press reports that experts suggest the added movement allow children to naturally fidget without disrupting the class.

“I have more attentive children,” Ms. Giuliano said. “I’m able to get a lot done with them because they’re sitting on yoga balls.”

The exercise gear is part an effort to “modernize” schools based on research linking physical activity with better learning, John Kilbourne, a professor of movement science at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., told The Blaze.

Teachers nationwide are experimenting with ways to modernize classrooms, including adjustable-height desks and footrests for students.

“It’s the future of education,” Mr. Kilbourne asserted.

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