According to results from a research project by a Texas A&M University team, children who stand at their desks instead of sitting gain "an extra seven minutes per hour of instruction time," said an article on TheJournal.com

"The preliminary results suggest that students improve their ability to stay on task by 12 percent" when using a standing desk, the article said.

The experiment included 282 participants in grades 2-4 over the course of a school year and were monitored by engagement, such as answering question, raising their hand, and participating in classroom discussions.

And not only did this study find that students using standing desks were more productive and engaged, one of the team members behind the study, Mark Benden, said a previous study he worked on found other benefits to the desks: "He found in previous studies that students who are standing burn 15 percent more calories than those sitting, a count that went up depending on the weight of the child," according to the article.

Benden said that because considerable research proves that behavioral engagement is a huge factor that contributes to student achievement, getting students on their feet and off their seat is an approach schools should look into.

One California school is already making the change. According to the Sun Times, four classrooms in the Marin County School will use standing desks for students.

So far, though it's still early, the desks have proved to be a good thing for the students.

"Instead of tiring students out, the new desks allow them to let off a little steam. In fact they come equipped with a swinging foot stand, aptly called a 'fidget bar,'" the article said.

Read the full story here and comment below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

4/27/2015