麻豆传媒入口

Fidgets can wreak havoc in classrooms. During the peak of their popularity, when so-called fidget spinners emerged as a best seller and promised to improve human attention spans, one-third of the top 200 U.S. schools responded by .

The devices are often marketed as 鈥渁 universal classroom support,鈥� alleviating the symptoms of anxiety, hyperactivity, and boredom, writes Stephanie L. Kriescher, a professor of psychology at the University of Northern Colorado, and her colleagues in a . Yet 鈥渢he evidence basis of fidget toys remains controversial and largely reliant on theory, with few peer-reviewed experimental studies.鈥� 

After reviewing decades鈥� worth of studies on fidgets, Kriescher and her team say that the devices are often distracting for users and other classmates, and teachers should 鈥減roceed with caution when considering implementing fidget toys as a behavioral or attentional support in the general education classroom.鈥�

In a , for example, researchers found that fidget spinners caused third-grade students to perform significantly worse on math tests, while another concluded that college-age students who used a fidget spinner during lectures distracted other students and experienced their own 鈥渁ttentional lapses, diminished judgments of learning, and impaired performance on a memory test.鈥� Learning while using a spinner resulted in a 44 percent drop in retention, while those sitting nearby dropped by 13 percent.

The case for providing fidgets to neurodivergent students can also be murky. In a involving young students with ADHD, researchers found that the use of fidget spinners, in particular, resulted in a twofold increase in distracted behavior. Kids with ADHD might have experienced the attractive, high-velocity devices as 鈥渁 fun toy rather than something to help them focus,鈥� the researchers said.

Drawn by the kinetic and visual appeal, most students probably see no downside to fidgets. But 鈥渟tudents are often unaware of the costs of multitasking,鈥� researchers explain in a , and remain blissfully ignorant of the burden that fidgets have on memory and attention.

context matters

But other research suggests that real-world learning environments may be more favorable to fidgets, and banning the devices isn鈥檛 the solution. Fidgeting in classrooms, like fidgeting at the dinner table鈥攁s we recently reported鈥攎ay be a sensorimotor strategy to curb other sources of distraction.

A concluded that fidgeting may act as a 鈥渃ompensatory mechanism鈥� that supports 鈥渘eurocognitive functioning in children with ADHD,鈥� suggesting that in some contexts, fidgets may be a way to substitute a moderate, controlled source of distraction for a less predictable and more disruptive source. When students are working in temporarily noisy spaces, for example, or are exposed to the sounds of traffic or outdoor recess, then fidgets may be a useful way to redirect a student鈥檚 natural tendency to mind-wander.

Similar findings emerge in the study of doodling and background music. In a , for example, researchers concluded that while free-form doodling (drawing animals, people, or scenes) requires a great deal of attention, simpler, low-effort doodling (coloring in shapes or drawing patterns) comes at a trivial cognitive cost and may ultimately allow students to control other sources of distraction. Meanwhile, background music in classrooms is distracting, cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham told 麻豆传媒入口 in 2023. But research suggests that a complex song with quick changes in pace or complicated lyrics may compete with academic tasks, while simpler songs with predictable, driving rhythms may motivate students to work harder without the same distracting effects.

For kids who regularly struggle with executive function, overstimulation, or anxiety, fidgets may quiet tics, perseverations, and restlessness, allowing them to sustain focus for a longer period of time and allocate more of their residual attention to the academic task at hand.

Meanwhile, much of the research on the negative attributes of fidgets focuses on a class of devices that are more properly classified as entertainment, rather than study aids. Fidget spinners, pop-its, light-up discs, or pens with excessive clicking parts can be misused and even cause chaos in the classroom.

It鈥檚 important to note that fidgets don鈥檛 improve attention, though they may suppress other distractions, in some circumstances. As a rule of thumb, use the least-disruptive fidgets for the least amount of time required to get the academic work done.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Earlier this year, we asked teachers on , , and to share how they handle fidgets in their classrooms. Do they impose total bans? Do they allow students to use fidgets, as long as there鈥檚 a good reason? Overwhelmingly, teachers found a middle ground: As long as the fidgets were used in a purposeful, nondistracting manner, students were allowed to use them.

鈥淔or my high school classroom, they were hugely beneficial!鈥� middle and high school teacher Taylor Baumeister. But, she continues, you should 鈥渁void stress balls and others that look like they鈥檙e meant to be thrown and avoid noisy ones so others are not distracted. Finally, and most importantly: frame them as tools not toys.鈥�

A review of more than 500 comments reveals several other key insights:

Try alternatives: Fidgets aren鈥檛 the only solution to helping students stay calm and focused鈥�brain breaks, nature walks, and breathing exercises can get the job done without introducing potentially distracting objects into the classroom. Onderwoman, a PreK teacher, gives students the option of flexible seating or a calm-down corner. 鈥淚 start the year very slowly, introducing each of these items and discussing them,鈥� she . 鈥淎nything that鈥檚 misused 鈥榯akes a break鈥� from the classroom for a while.鈥�

Set clear expectations: Teachers often emphasized the importance of talking to kids about using fidgets responsibly and laying ground rules early. 鈥淲e need to teach expectations; we can鈥檛 expect they already know them,鈥� writes ms.m.walker on . She displays a 鈥淭ools vs. Toys鈥� anchor chart that shows pictures of students using the fidgets correctly. 鈥淲hen someone forgets, I can point to the chart and tell them, 鈥楻emember what we decided about toys vs. tools.鈥欌��

Avoid the most distracting fidgets: If there鈥檚 clear agreement between researchers and teachers, it鈥檚 to avoid the most distracting fidgets at all costs鈥攕pinners, poppers, and other devices that light up, make noise, or encourage throwing. 鈥淚鈥檓 all for fidgets if they are used properly and are noiseless,鈥� elementary school teacher Kasey Deese Orellana. 鈥淢y rule is: If it鈥檚 helping you focus, it鈥檚 a tool. If it鈥檚 distracting you, it鈥檚 a toy and must be put away. The moment it leaves your hand (toss/throw) it鈥檚 a toy and has to go.鈥�

The most effective fidgets, teachers generally agreed, were quiet and unobtrusive, such as textured stickers, wristbands, and stress balls (although firm 鈥渘o throwing鈥� rules had to be quickly established). 鈥淚 have what I call quiet fidgets (mesh sleeves with a marble) and I will give them to students with a tapping habit or a noisier fidget that is distracting me,鈥� writes Catherine Pascual. 鈥淎s a teacher with ADHD and sensory sensitivity, I very much understand the need for them. But the sound of fidget spinners completely distracts me from what I am trying to say.鈥�