Kids on Track: why some kids need to move

Why do we ask children to sit still? What is behind this expectation, and does it truly serve the desired purpose of nurturing and educating children? These are some of the questions that have arisen during Windermere’s school-based early intervention program, Kids on Track.

Often in classrooms we ask children to sit still. Is it to remove distractions for other students? Is it to make things easier for the teacher?

Rachel Clarke, Kids on Track Program Facilitator has observed that children use movement to regulate their bodies.

“There have been many times I would want a child to sit still during a class conversation, but then I am reminded their stillness would be about me and my preferences, rather than their learning,” she says.

Over the course of eight years of being in classrooms to run the Kids on Track program, Rachel has observed the correlation between movement and attention span in children.

“Some children are actively listening to their teachers while they move. When they are asked to sit still, their attention starts to waver,” explains Rachel.

For a number of these children, movement is a must to stay focussed. They include sensory seekers who struggle to listen when they are still. Curious questioning is an integral part of the Kids on Track program and these conversations have given way to understanding children’s needs better.

“Many children are able to give comprehensive accounts of what the teacher has said though they have been moving the whole time,” says Rachel.

During a Kids on Track session, a 11-year-old boy began squirming and moving away from the group. After about 30 minutes, he found a round footstool, turned it on its side and rolled back and forwards over it before returning to the group.  It was evident this was not to draw attention from classmates, as he was actively participating in the class; something his teachers had never seen before. 

These observations have prompted the program to explore how best to help young people move in ways that help them.

“Instead of telling kids to sit still, we can explore ways to teach them how to move so it meets their needs without distracting others from learning,” adds Rachel.

Kids on Track is an early intervention school-based program delivered in conjunction with Victoria Police to grade 5 students. The eight-week program addresses at-risk behaviours and educates students on relevant social issues that impact young people. 

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