Thoughts from our Regional Director in the Midwest, Mark Gardner:

I was working on a project and just wanted to take a few minutes to share some thoughts on soft seating in schools. Fōmcore has taught me to take the extra time to do things right. So here is a few things to keep in mind

• Adaptive learning in active participation classrooms. Active participation means children are getting the most out of every classroom that they are in. They are more likely to be able to retain information, making subjects that build on top of one another easier for the students in the future (Seifert and Metz, 2016). This is how the Daisy Set or any other Fōmcore set could be incorporated into the classroom.
• Engagement is increased. According to a 2016 study, using cushions on the floor benefited preschool engagement specifically in attention and persistence sub-scales (Seifert and Metz, 2016). This is a great way a conversational or standard Lily Pad could be applied
• It encompasses all learning-styles for students and helps the teacher convert the classroom into multi-learning availability with limited changes in lesson plans (Wulsin, 2013). This would be a great space to create a sitting area with our curved love seats or our Armless Series.
• Accommodates developmental needs of rocking or having movement in seats (Wulsin, 2013). The Rok Ottoman is available to help accommodate all movements, while still being able to have functional learning.
• Easy mobility for shared classroom spaces, or dual learning classrooms (Seifert and Metz, 2016). The Ottoman Series, which includes rounds, rectangle, honeycomb, and bowtie shapes can be easily moved.

Health and peace to all! More interviews with Mark in the Midwest!

References:

Seifert, & Metz. (2016). Flexible Learning Environments. CA Department of Education.

Wulsin. (2011). School Structures that Support 21st Century Learning. Hanover Research.