Flexible Seating for Early Learners

By Bevin Reinen

 

How do you work and learn best?

 

Do you sit, stand, or lay? Do you use a desk? A chair? Or, do you plop down and get comfy in your bed or on the couch with a good book or device in hand? Does your preference change day to day based upon the specific situation? Does your mood ever influence these decisions?

 

Yes?

No?

There is no “right” answer!

 

Early childhood educators across the country are transforming their classrooms into flexible, student-centered spaces to support the diverse learning styles, preferences, and needs of 21st-century learners.

 

Flexible seating is far more than a fad! It empowers students to make decisions about how they learn best and its effectiveness is grounded in scholarly research. Speaking from personal experience, it truly does leverage learning by helping to equip our future workforce with the critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and citizenship skills needed to thrive in tomorrow’s world. And early learners, especially, need opportunities to move and think freely throughout their day.

 

Early Childhood Flexible Seating Tips

 

Here are three quick tips for implementing flexible seating in your early learning classroom:

 

1)  Change Your Classroom, Change Your Practice

 

The coolest, shiniest, new piece of flexible furniture won’t magically convert your classroom into an optimal flexible learning environment unless you make a mental shift in your classroom practices also. Instead of being a “sage on the stage” you must be a “guide on the side,” providing students with more voice and choice in how and what they learn to foster student agency.

 

2)  Flexible NOT Free-for-All

 

Flexible seating does NOT mean that you have to relinquish all structure and embrace chaos. Kids need to feel safe and secure. Modeling rules/routines for how to use each flexible seating option is a must! Teach and reteach the expectations throughout the year. Post photographs of students using the new furniture in appropriate ways for quick, visual reference. If preferred, create flexible seating rotation charts. Or, employ the logical consequence that if they abuse it, they (kindly) lose it. Students need to understand that the freedom they are being given is a privilege; one to enjoy and respect!

 

3)  One Seat Does Not Fit All

 

Students need a variety of flexible seating options! Are your students fighting over the same spot? Consider purchasing, crowdfunding, or treasure hunting through thrift stores for comfortable items of all shapes and sizes to accommodate both independent and collaborative work. And remember, sometimes the best option for a student might be no seat at all! So, declutter some counter spaces of differing heights and let the kids have at it. As long as they’re engaged, does it really matter if they’re sitting or standing?

 

Flexible Seating for Early Childhood Classrooms

 

If your classroom is in need of a little refurbishing, here are some Becker’s flexible seating options that I’ve added to my wish list! What’s on yours?

 

  1. Vinyl Sofa
  2. Wiggle Stool
  3. Library Trio
  4. Primary Colors Chair Cubed Set of 4
  5. Backjack Floor Chair
  6. Bean Bag Chairs
  7. Teacher Seat with Back Support (good for school-age children, too!)
  8. As We Grow Sofa & Chairs
  9. Wiggle Seats
  10. Floor cushions
  11. Pillows
  12. Literacy Couch
  13. Tree Seat Cushions

 

Pin them for later: https://www.pinterest.com/shopbecker/flexible-seating-for-early-learners/

 

How are you incorporating flexible seating in your classroom?

 

Bevin Reinen is an educator, blogger, writer, speaker, and consultant who has held numerous leadership positions throughout her 15 years in education. Bevin holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in K-12 Leadership. Bevin was named the 2011 Hampton Roads Magazine Top Teacher Overall and the 2015 Virginia Region II Teacher of the Year. Bevin is National Board Certified as an Early Childhood Generalist and was identified as an emerging leader by both ASCD and NAEYC. Her work appears in numerous print and online publications and she is the proud founder of TeachTrainLove.com.

 

The opinions, representations, and statements made within this guest article are those of the author and not of Becker’s School Supplies as a whole. Any copyright remains with the author and any liability with regard to infringement of intellectual property rights remain with them. The company accepts no liability for any errors, omissions or representations.