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When were you trained in S.M.A.R.T.? How is your S.M.A.R.T. journey going? We often encounter teachers, specialists, and therapists who sign up to attend the S.M.A.R.T. workshop for a second time. Their response is always the same…”I am SO GLAD I came again. I learned so much more with having some S.M.A.R.T. implementation under my belt.” At our last training, we met Kendy. Kendy is a seasoned kindergarten teacher who attended a workshop six years ago. Not only did she share valuable insights and creative ideas with her fellow colleagues during the training, she repeatedly shared how grateful she was to have gotten a chance to come a second time. When asked what made her want to attend the training again, Kendy replied:
The power in knowing the WHY behind what we are doing with the children we work with everyday causes us to be more intentional, more consistent, and more purposeful in our approach. Kendy also shared what stood out to her the most this second time around: “Understanding the activity and knowing how I used it in my classroom allowed me to listen more intently to how this affects the brain, the whole body, and how students can go back and fill in what is needed for higher level learning. Re-understanding how to look at the students in your class through a different mindset and lens. Opening my eyes as a grandparent and understanding how my own body needs movement in different ways as I grow older and smarter.” Come train with us! Reignite your passion for the program by joining an upcoming workshop—refresh your skills, gain new insights, and continue making a meaningful impact on your students' success! 
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During a recent S.M.A.R.T. workshop, a group of teachers shared that tracking S.M.A.R.T. can be challenging as it is one of a hundred things they must manage each day in a classroom. We hear you!
Day 3 of the workshop is all about implementation and setting up a movement environment. When this challenge was presented, we thought of a resource that might help. When we shared it with the group, the consensus was that having a student track activities on a chart like this would be a great visual to make sure S.M.A.R.T. was happening in an intentional way every day.
We would like to share this resource with you! Download either of these versions to track your S.M.A.R.T. activities weekly:
We are so grateful when educators and professionals in a child-centered field ask for specific tools to help with S.M.A.R.T. implementation. If there is a resource you would love to have, please email us at [email protected] We would be happy to do what we can to keep your program thriving! With the cold weather keeping kids cooped up indoors, many are starting to experience cabin fever—restlessness, boredom, and a serious need to burn off energy. And I am not just talking about the kids. We adults are feeling it too!
Try “Tunnel S.M.A.R.T.”! This space used long tables as “tunnels” for the Alligator Crawl. It was fun for the students and kept them low. A tunnel replaced the Slap Track to keep the students engaged in crawling on their hands and knees. We quickly realized the tunnel had a mind of its own so some creative students engineered some “walls” with their chairs to keep it in place. Without outdoor play, students are missing out on the movement and excitement they need to stay active and engaged. Incorporating fun, high-energy activities like this keep the movements new and novel, stimulating the brain.   A key activity in our S.M.A.R.T. classroom is rolling. Why is rolling good for children? Rolling stimulates the vestibular system. The vestibular system plays a crucial role in balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. It helps children stay focused, regulate their emotions, and develop key motor skills needed for academic tasks like reading, writing, and sitting still in class. A great way to stimulate the vestibular system indoors is through games that encourage rolling and spinning. Try out Rolling Bowling!
Gather some household objects that you can use as bowling pins. Plastic cups, containers in the shape of cylinders, blocks, etc can all be set up like pins. Have your child be the ball and roll with their arms overhead to see how many they can knock down.
This simple game will provide children with vestibular stimulation yet feel like loads of fun. |
AuthorSCheryl Smythe Archives
May 2025
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