Abstract
As the number of students diagnosed with attentional issues continue to
rise, educators are constantly looking for alternative ways to keep
students engaged for longer periods of time so that they are accessible
for learning. The purpose of this study is to determine if a movement
strategy, a bouncy band, will help students focus attention for longer
periods of time and increase on-task behavior. A convenience sample of
25 students identified with attentional issues were selected to
participate in the current study. Pre and post assessments indicated
that the bouncy bands did have a positive effect on the student’s
ability to maintain attention, listen attentively to adults/peers, and
follow oral directions. In addition, results from the pre and post
observations suggested that when the bouncy band was used as a movement
strategy, there was a marked decrease in students off-task behaviors.
Results from the interviews suggested that most of the participants
believed that the bouncy bands were fun, helped them to focus, relax,
and feel calmer when taking tests.