Warwick teachers at Bonfield Elementary School have a new way of keeping their kids attentive in class and focused on learning. When a student gets fidgety and distracted, it is time for a quick trip to the Sensory Wall in another part of the school.

At the Sensory Wall, the student goes through a series of structured activities in a stimulating environment, guided by a physical or occupational therapist or trained staff member. The activities take only a few minutes, noted Barbara Mobley, executive director of the Warwick Education Foundation, which funded a Sensory Wall for all four Warwick elementary schools. Tanya Myers, Warwick's physical therapist, wrote the grant for Bonfield Elementary.

Activities include wall push-offs, a wall slap to identify a word, finding the way through a maze, spelling words by touching letters, hopscotch along the floor, jumping through rungs of the floor ladder, tracing a figure eight on the wall, striking a yoga pose, and practicing controlled breathing.

The Bonfield Sensory Wall was created this past school year, and there will be one more installed at each of the remaining elementary schools - Lititz, Kissel Hill, and John Beck. Although each pathway will be customized to fit the needs of the particular school, they will all provide visual, motor, and learning experiences that can be tailored to the individual student.