Written By Carrie Jackson, PhD, a licensed child psychologist, speaker, and author working in San Diego, California.

In many learning environments, kids are seated at a desk or a table when they’re doing schoolwork or homework. For many children, it can be challenging to remain focused when they are learning, especially if they have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or if they are more active. However, many educators and parents are concerned that if children are not seated and learning, they will not be able to get through their work without getting distracted.

The good news is that there is growing research that finds movement is particularly helpful for kids to learn and stay focused. To help kids focus and concentrate better when they are learning, active seating options are becoming more popular for educators in schools and parents at home. Active seating options, such as active chairs, wobble seats, and balance discs, allow students to move their bodies while they are learning so that they are more engaged during learning.

In this blog post, you’ll learn about the benefits of incorporating movement into learning for children to better focus and concentrate.

Making Fewer Careless Mistakes

When kids are doing work at school, kids often make careless errors and mistakes. They may be so focused on getting through a worksheet that they skip over problems or accidentally make an error when computing basic math problems. Although these mistakes may seem small, they can lead to kids not fully learning or understanding important concepts. Furthermore, kids may become frustrated when they realize the mistakes that they have made.

Research has found that when ADHD children and teens are allowed to fidget and move around while completing academic tasks, they are more accurate and make fewer errors (Hartano et al., 2015). In fact, the more that kids moved around during a task, the fewer mistakes that they made. Although it’s not completely clear why movement leads to greater accuracy, it’s possible that kids are more engaged and the movement assists them with thinking and remaining on-task.

Better Working Memory

Working memory is one of the brain’s executive functions. It helps us keep track of and remember all the information we constantly receive. When we remember a phone number just long enough to write it down or save it to our phone, we are using working memory. In school, when kids are told directions or learning the steps to solve a math problem, working memory allows them to remember the steps and organize this information so that it gets stored for later. For kids and teens who have been diagnosed with ADHD, their working memory often lags behind peers who haven’t been diagnosed with ADHD. Working memory is essential for learning, so it's important to help kids improve this skill.

One research study assessed the impact of gross motor movement (e.g., walking, balancing, hopping) on working memory performance in children with and without ADHD. The study found that greater levels of movement predicted better working memory performance for children with ADHD. Incorporating movement for children with ADHD may be particularly important to helping them learn in the classroom. Options that incorporate movement, such as active chairs, can help kids utilize movement in the classroom setting.

Staying On-Task & Focused

All kids can struggle with keeping on-task and staying focused when learning new material, especially after they have been sitting in a classroom all day long. For some kids, especially those diagnosed with ADHD, staying on track with assignments throughout a full day of learning can be even more challenging. Many teachers and parents wonder whether movement helps or hinders kids' focus while learning at school or home.

When kids tackle demanding tasks like solving math problems, reading, or learning new concepts, fidgeting is linked to better overall performance. Neuroimaging studies that look at how blood flow changes during tasks found that movement promotes blood flow to brain areas that are typically underactive in kids with ADHD. Medication also promotes similar effects of increasing blood flow to underactive parts of the brain. By letting kids move before and during academic work, their brains are better equipped to focus on the task at hand.

Improvements in Executive Functioning

Executive functions help us plan, organize, and tackle complex tasks. These skills are crucial for learning, as they enable kids to map out what they want to write, organize their thoughts for essays, and keep track of their assignments. While everyone has executive functioning skills, kids with ADHD often struggle in this area. Learning how to strengthen these skills can help them manage complex tasks and improve their learning.

Research shows that short bursts of exercise can immediately enhance executive functioning. This means that movement before or during school can help kids focus and plan better. Since these improvements are short-term, it’s important to include movement throughout the day to maintain focus and attention.

Sustaining and Keeping Attention

Staying attentive all day at school and during homework can be tough for kids, especially for long periods. When focus wanes, kids may make mistakes or get distracted. While this is common for all kids, those with ADHD face greater challenges maintaining attention over time. They might shift to other tasks or get up from their seat when boredom strikes.

Incorporating regular physical movement into learning can help kids stay focused. When kids fidget or use fidget aids, their arousal increases, allowing them to concentrate better. This study specifically examined the use of tools like fidget aids or active chairs, which encourage intentional movement. These aids improve focus and attention more effectively than general, unstructured movement.

Summary

Kids learn and focus better when movement is integrated into their learning. Regular movement is linked to improved attention, fewer mistakes, and stronger executive functioning skills. Adding movement into learning routines—whether at home or in the classroom—can help kids stay on task. This is especially true for kids with ADHD, who often struggle with distraction and staying focused.

Active seating options, such as wobble chairs, fidget aids, or wobble discs, are a simple way to add movement to learning. Gross motor activities before homework or study sessions can also boost focus. Since these effects are short-term, it’s helpful to include active seating for consistent benefits throughout the day.

Adding active seating to your child’s routine can naturally increase movement, improving their focus and creating a calmer learning environment. These tools are especially helpful for kids with ADHD, offering both stimulation and better focus. For an optimal learning setup, active chairs and similar tools can be a game-changer for kids, educators, and families alike.