Somerset Elementary Class Is On The Ball

Chairs are out at Krista Seipel’s third-grade class at Somerset Elementary School.

Stability balls are in.

The balls, officially known as WittFitt Stability Balls, are used instead of chairs by the 25 third graders in Seipel’s class.

The bright blue stability balls are designed for classroom use and made of latex-free resin materials. The balls are durable and firm and have "feet" to keep them in place when not in use.

“I really like them,” said third-grader Avery Vogen. “And they’re really comfy to sit on.”

The balls used by the Somerset third graders are designed for those 4 feet 3 inches tall to 5 feet 3 inches tall and can be inflated to match the child’s height, weight and leg length for an optimal fit.

Seipel introduced the stability balls to Somerset this fall.

“It started for me in my undergrad research project at (College of) St. Ben’s, and I was able to do a project on whatever I wanted. So I wanted to look into how you could increase movement and motivation in the classroom. And what I found was using the stability balls as well as standing desks was a way to do that. Then I just got really interested in it, and I myself got a stability ball in college that I started to sit on.”

Somerset Principal Mary Bowman gave Seipel permission to write a grant to get the balls through the . She was awarded the grant last January. A second grade Somerset class will also be using the balls this year.

The students are asked to sit on top of their stability balls, as opposed to leaning against them or bouncing on them.

The Somerset students had to earn their stability balls. It can be taken away if the student isn’t sitting on it properly, Seipel said.

 “We kind of had to learn a lot about them and why they’re here,” said Avery. “And how they got invented and when they were invented.”

The students were tested on how much they learned about the stability balls and if they passed, they got one. They also have a contract detailing how they’re expected to sit on the ball (which means among other things, keeping their feet on the ground and keeping bouncing at a minimum).

“One really neat thing to see is how much pride they have in having these balls,” said Seipel. “They are so mindful of the contract. They remind each other.”

The benefits to using the stability balls include improved posture, stronger core muscles and improved blood flow to all parts of the body, said Seipel.

“There’s a lot of advantages to the balls, and the kids know a lot of these as well,” said Seipel. “Their motivation is increased because they’re able to move more freely, and so they’re able to apply more energy to the learning process. It’s great for their posture as well as their handwriting.”

“It’s fun because you can have a little bit of movement,” said Somerset third grader Lucca Carlson. “You can’t bounce too much or you’ll get in trouble, but you can bounce slightly and that’s fun.”

“I’ve always had pretty bad posture, so it helps with posture,” Lucca added.

There’s also more to the stability balls than meets the eye.

“They smell vanilla-y,” said student Willow Genadek. “And sometimes they smell like ice cream. They’re squishy, but sometimes they’re really, really, really flat, so we have to pump them up.”