Classroom Ergonomics

Children spend a lot of time at school sitting in chairs at desks and tables, so it’s important to consider the comfort, efficiency and safety of their classroom furniture. A chair or desk that is too small or too big is uncomfortable and distracting. While right-sized furniture is critical for good ergonomics, ensuring proper sizing for all students can be challenging. Students often vary in size within each grade and growth also occurs as the school year goes by. Selecting the appropriate chair, table and desk height is often based on a student’s age. The chart below illustrates a general guideline for seat height range by grade. These guidelines may not necessarily work in every situation, because there is no one size fits all for classroom furniture. Additionally, some students may benefit from different types of movement to concentrate. Planning for the range of sizes needed for each classroom at the beginning of the school year, as well as making adjustments mid-year, can help ensure that students are correctly positioned for learning.