I walked into my new classroom and there were two HUGE old chalkboards on the wall. All the memories of elementary school came flooding back and I recalled all the rainy-day recesses of drawing at the board, solving math problems with my classmates, and the joy of getting picked to take the erasers outside to bang off the extra chalk dust. Yes, they can be a little messy! The administration offered to take them down, but I quickly asked if I could keep them, and I’m so glad I did. I did not realize at the time all the benefits that come with writing on a chalkboard, but I was about to find out!
Magic happens at the board! Every day my students solved math problems, wrote spelling words, practiced writing letters, constructed proper sentences, and more at the old-fashioned chalkboard. If a student struggled with a math problem, I would encourage them to take it to the board and almost always they would figure it out. I assumed it was because of the bigger surface, and maybe that played a part, but occupational therapists are verifying what I found to be true in my class as an elementary teacher. Here are just a few benefits:
- Writing or drawing vertically brings the surface close to the eye, helping with focus and concentration and even peripheral vision.
- Core strength is built as a child stands to write and maintains an upright position. Core strength is important for balance, coordination, posture, and motor skills. “Proximal stability leads to distal mobility”—meaning one must be solid at the core to be skilled at the extremities.
- Shoulder stability improves as the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint grow stronger, helping with posture, endurance, and controlled movement.
- Writing at the chalkboard can help with forearm stabilization because children extend their wrists properly, and this helps them develop the skills needed for writing, cutting, and other fine motor tasks.
- Spatial awareness increases when working on a vertical surface, helping a child have a more hands-on understanding of directional terms such as up and down.
- Bilateral coordination is crucial for skills like writing, tying shoelaces, and playing an instrument, and is a key part of developing a dominant hand. When a student is at the board tracing an object, using a stencil, or stabilizing a paper to write on an upright surface, they are becoming better coordinated.
- Midline crossing influences everything from gross and fine motor skills to higher level academic skills such as reading and improves neural connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. When a child writes and erases on a chalkboard, they are crossing the midline of their body and creating brain pathways that are important for various skills.
- Fine motor skills are enhanced as the resistance of chalk against the board offers unique tactile feedback that is different from using a pen or pencil on paper.
Whether you choose a chalkboard or whiteboard, consider the benefits of adding one to your teaching toolbox. You can purchase boards or even paint them on the wall. The possibilities are endless! ~ Amber
Chalk Products:
Deluxe Child’s Easel: Magnetboard/Chalkboard with Wood Trays
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel
Aluminum Chalk Holder with Chalk – Assorted Color
Chalkboard Letters Practice Mat
