Cultivating concentration: The effect of bouncy bands on classroom attention

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Dyslexia is used to refer to a pattern of learning difficulties characterized by problems with fluent word recognition, poor decoding, and poor spelling abilities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A prevalent co-occurring problem in individuals with dyslexia is inattention (Parhiala et al., 2015). There is some indication from a large sample of French and British children with dyslexia that attention issues predict reading performance over and beyond IQ, verbal fluency, and vocabulary (Bosse, Tainturier, & Valdois, 2007).
Research shows that physical movement in the classroom can result in increased attention and memory (Ratey, 2011). Despite evidence that physical activity improves cognition, inclusion of physical activity in the school day has rapidly declined (Drollette et al., 2013). Bouncy Bands are elastic bands that attach to students’ desks-http://bouncybands.com-that allow students the opportunity to release energy through mild physical activity without leaving their desks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Bouncy Bands on “off-task” behavior in children with dyslexia during a silent sustained reading task.
Participants were 22 (15 males and 7 females) students in two classrooms from a school for children with dyslexia. Student behaviors were recorded via video camera while performing a silent sustained reading task for approximately 30 minutes each day for 8 weeks. Both classrooms were recorded at the beginning of the study to gauge baseline behavior. After 4 weeks, the children in one of the classrooms were provided with Bouncy Bands, while children in the second classroom experienced no change. After 4 additional weeks, the Bouncy Bands were moved from the first classroom to the second and behaviors were again recorded in both classrooms. The recordings are being coded for “off-task” passive behavior (i.e., engaging in activities that are unrelated to the assignment like closing eyes/laying head on desk, not looking at teacher or assignment when instructions are being announced, looking away from assignment or teacher), “off task” motor behavior (i.e., any motor behavior, in the upper half of the body, that did not pertain to silent sustained reading), and “off task” verbal behavior (i.e., any audible verbalizations that were not relevant to the assigned task or not permitted during the assigned task). Any differences in “off-task” behavior due to the presence of Bouncy Bands will be reported.

Authors

• Rebekah Holsenback, Clemson University
  Presenting Author

• Hanna Kent, Clemson University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sarah M Sanborn, Clemson University
  Non-Presenting Author

• June Pilcher, Clemson University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer Bailey Grandits, Clemson University
  Non-Presenting Author