At some point in history, sitting down in the school classroom became the norm. And even though researchers already proved that children learn much better if they have a chance to move around, in practice, in the classroom nothing much has changed. Up until now, it seems, because several schools are embracing the standing desk for children. Studies show positive results. In a study of nearly 300 children in second through fourth grade over the course of a school year, researchers found a 12% greater “on-task” engagement, in classrooms with standing desks. Engagement was measured by looking at how much the children focussed on their teacher when the teacher was speaking. Other research found students with standing-desks burn 15% to 25% more calories than students in seated desks.
Standing desks in schools boost engagement in classrooms
More of Today's Solutions
How Mexico’s conservation work brought monarchs back from the brink
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every fall, tens of millions of monarch butterflies travel nearly 3,000 miles from Canada, through the United States, ...
Read MoreThe high school student whose filter uses magnetic oil to trap microplastics
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The story starts with a newspaper article and a neighborhood that wasn't getting help. A few years ago, ...
Read MoreBrown bear population in the Pyrenees makes a bear-y impressive comeback
Back in 1996, the addition of three bears from Slovenia launched a conservation plan to reintroduce the near-extinct brown bears in the Pyrenees. The ...
Read MoreWhy venting makes anger worse – and what actually helps
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When anger flares up, many of us turn to venting—whether it is ranting to a friend, punching a ...
Read More
