[LM_NET] HIT: ELEM: Sitting posture for Nursery-Kinder

[Ilana Locker <LockerI@CICCARACAS.COM.VE>]

Hi,

Thanks to all who replied to my original posting which I've pasted below. By the 
way, I tried to thank each of you who responded individually but couldn't get past 
some of your spam filters - so please don't think I was being rude! :)

Original Query: 

I am finally writing to ask about something I've been struggling with for a couple 
of years now - do you make the youngest students you see (nursery - kinder) sit 
"like a learner" with legs crossed when you read them a story or do you let them 
lay on their stomachs, still attentive, but not sitting upright?

I've gone back and forth on this and wanted to get advice from those more 
experienced than I!

Responses: 

I can't put my hands on it right now, but I've read an article that talked about 
how having muscle tension assists in alertness and retention of information.   Of 
course, this is after I had finished college and did much of my studying lying on a 
bed!

******

I ask all my students, even the grade sixes to six cross legged, like a pretzel. I 
tell them it's good for their knees, which it is. My husband is a Physical 
therapist and he always said it was good for the legs.

******

[On the other hand...]

We just had a speaker named Ken Horn who talked about brain research.

He said that sitting for longer than about 5 minutes the brain starts to shut down. 
 After 15 even adults cannot really pay attention and should be given the 
opportunity to do something different, (even if 
it is just turn to your neighbor and say something, or stretch your hands in the 
air or something)  In addition, other brain research shows that the lower arms/legs 
belly are stimulated by lying on your stomach and some kids who can't sit still 
other ways will be still when they get more comfortable and also have some sensory 
stimulation to larger areas of their bodies.

All this said....the thing that always happens to me is that the kids lying down 
get stepped on or kicked or kick someone else accidentally when they are all lying 
willy nilly.  they just aren't aware of others body space etc.  Consequently,  if 
just a couple kids do it naturally while attending to a story  I just "don't 
notice" , I also 
always allow kids in the back to sit on their knees to see better and once in a 
while they all can lay down  but I am VERY sure to remind them to look around and 
lay down carefully to make sure they don't kick anyone.  that is a hard one....when 
what is best for kids is very difficult in small spaces or for safety.  :(

******

They sit up "criss cross applesauce" for story time- that's the school wide 
"attentive listening position".  Once they get their books I don't mind how they 
sit (or lie).

******

We have 5 kindergartens, and because they are expected to sit up in  assembly 
programs, and music class, I expect them to sit up in the  library.  It is just 
reinforcing positive behavior in our school.  I  have found that when they are 
lying down that they tend to roll around  and are not as attentive as when they are 
sitting up.  Just a personal  and school thing, I guess.

******

I have my students sit criss cross applesauce because we do not have the  space for 
them to lay down.  The LMC at my school has them sitting that way  also.  I have 
had them on rare occasions lay down for a story but some will  get kicked in the 
head and some will begin to roll around and disrupt  others.  Also, each year is 
different and a lot depends on the class and  how they are, some years the classes 
could have handled it better than  others.  If you have the space you could try it 
lying down and see how it  works.
 
******

Well, how about a compromise? They may not lay down during story time (because it 
isn't the beach, or nap time, and I can't lay down, so neither can they!)  but, 
they don't have to cross their legs--just sit up, looking 
at me, with their hands and feet still and to themselves.

******

My kids must sit like a pretzel with their bottom on the rug. No excuses!

******

it is your call, what will you expect from them when they are listening to you?  If 
you ever want them to sit like a listener, then you will need to train them that 
way.  I trained my Kinders  (taught for 5 years) that when i read a story they 
could scoot up and when I was teaching they needed to be in criss cross applesauce. 
 It's all in how you train, at that age, they do as they are taught.good luck!

******

We have a quarter-round story corner that has steps built in going down in the 
corner of the elementary library.  So it's kind of a little sunken mini-theater, 
and the children sit on the steps while I am down on the 
bottom in the little "stage" area.  If they lean back or stick their legs out they 
will be kicking the backs or lying on the legs of the person on the step in front 
or back of them, so they have to sit in a relatively upright 
position.  The K books, and even more so the PK story books, tend not to be too 
very long, so there isn't usually too terribly much of a fidgeting problem. 
Sometimes there are some defiant ones who want to stick their feet out "because I 
want to!" etc., that have to be dealt with, but usually they don't have much 
problem handling it for the length of their little books.

******

I tried something new last year.  My rule was "You can sit any way you want to as 
long as you can pay attention that way and it doesn't make a problem for someone 
else."  I found that they were actually more
attentive and less wiggly that way, and I wasn't constantly having to stop the 
story to remind a child to sit "like a pretzel."  

******

I make them sit up, but that's partly due to space limitations.  I definitely 
wouldn't let them lounge around in any position on our floor.  The rug is way too 
dirty, and we usually have problems with lice, so I don't 
want to facilitate that in any way.  If you have an area that you know is clean, 
and the kids have room to stretch out I don't see any reason you shouldn't do it.

******

Our PreK and kindergartens sit criss-cross while listening to the story. I feel 
they pay better attention that way.  They are more than welcome to lie down while 
they are reading their book they check out.

******

I love the image of kids on their stomachs paying attention to a story.  Depends on 
how much space you have for them.  My library has benches that are in my story 
area.  Of course kinder are kinder and there will
be wiggles.

******

I have tried both and ended up having them sit up.  This seems to cut down on 
picking on each other.  We make signs on the floor that match our reading theme for 
the year and they sit on them.  This year our reading theme is Route 66 , so out 
little sitting signs are Route 66 signs with the different states on them. We space 
the signs on the floor about 2 feet apart and this seems to work really well.
Good luck

******

Hi!  I've always had my kindergarten students sit with their legs crossed, but this 
is mainly for space purposes.  I just don't have the room for them to lay down or 
their stomachs or even sit with their legs stretched out.  I would love to hear 
what other librarians are doing.  Will you please post a hit?

******

I used to teach in elementary school and the way I looked at it, I would hate to 
have to sit up straight while listening to a story, so why should the kids have to? 
What exactly is being taught by making that requirement? I had beanbag chairs and 
they loved to lay back two or three in a chair. The only thing was that the kids 
had to behave and listen - if they got to lying on each other, playing around, 
pushing etc, then they had to sit up.

Now I'm in HS and it's hopeless - they sit on tables, on floors, backwards in 
chairs - basically any way that is other than the proper way to sit in a chair! 
Gotta love it....

*****

I would love to hear the responses on this one!  I have them sitting up, "criss, 
cross, applesauce, hands in your lap."  But I'm always open for a new way to do 
things.

******

I encourage my younger students to sit cross-legged.  We have a five-point 
procedure to get ready for storytime.  1-Flat on bottom, 2-Legs crossed, 3-Hands in 
lap, 4-Mouths quiet, 5-Eyes and ears ready.  Occasionally I may have them spread 
out however they want, but in the storytime area, we're
short on space.  That's the main reason I have them sit that way so there is room 
for everyone.

******

We always sit with "bottoms on the rug and legs crossed in front" - it will make a 
big difference in their attention to you and the story.

******

They sit criss-cross applesauce because there wouldn't be room for all of them if 
they reclined. 

******

I find that when the lay or whatever, they also usally roll  and squirm.  I do lots 
of I reach up high, and I keep storytime to 15 min. to start.  We talk about why we 
sit criss cross which it to be considerate so others can hear.  I don't think 15 - 
20 minutes hurt them.  Besides, I am sick of going to programs with children who do 
not know how to sit and watch.  I guess I am also teaching manners.  The classroom 
teachers often let them lie down for their storytime.

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