This study from Civil University Eloy Alfaro of Manabí explored the connection between sensory play and sustained attention, or the ability to maintain focus on a task, resist competing responses, and manage activities over time. The researchers embedded a three-month sensory-play intervention directly into teacher-guided English language lessons in a first grade classroom in Ecuador. The intervention included tactile and textured materials, including plasticine (playdough), paint, flour, and materials with contrasting textures. The lessons included introducing content, clarifying ideas, giving directions and feedback, and practicing vocabulary with the intention to create short cycles of explanation, manipulation, description, and completion. The researchers observed students' attention spans before and after the intervention. They also used classroom logbooks and teacher interview notes to analyze patterns of participation, motivation, and self-regulation.
While the sample was small—there were just six children in the classroom—the results were significant, suggesting that structured sensory play is a promising practice for classroom use. The researchers found a significant and universal increase in students' attention: the average attention span increased from 2.5 minutes before the intervention to 6.5 minutes afterward, and all six children showed improvement, with an average gain of 4 minutes. In addition, teachers reported meaningful behavioral improvements: fewer interruptions during lessons, more active material exploration, greater willingness to participate, and more orderly transitions between activities.
StepUp Note
This research reminds us again how physical engagement with the real world around us can help us learn and remember. As children participate in StepUp exercises, they are also experiencing the physical forces of gravity and inertia which can help with readiness for math learning. Talking in rhythm becomes a social activity, where they can learn from each other. And rhythmic movement helps them develop time management (fluency), an important skill for turning basic skills into tools for new learning.
Note by Nancy W Rowe, MS, CCC/A