one s.m.a.r.t. teacherYou likely have a great S.M.A.R.T. rhythm going in your classroom. You may be looking for new and creative ways to incorporate vision activities. Are you struggling to find a place to hang Tactile Trackers or Wagon Wheels in your S.M.A.R.T. space? One S.M.A.R.T. teacher, Molly from Sibley East, found a creative location. During a S.M.A.R.T. mentoring visit, Molly inquired about hanging visual pursuits below her whiteboard and having students sit while doing the activity. We observed this and found it to be a fantastic option. Not only is it an excellent use of real estate in your classroom, but sitting provides a bigger base of balance while doing this activity, helping to isolate eye movements, potentially giving students an opportunity for better results. Do you have any lower wall space available? We hope you give this a try. 
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Supporting your child's reading development at home is likely a high priority. Whether your child(ren) is strong in reading or still progressing, all children benefit from eye movement exercises. To encourage and engage your child in vision activities, try making a few of these mazes. Draw simple outlines on a piece of paper. Add some academic content that is age-appropriate for your child.* Hang the mazes at eye level on the refrigerator with magnets. Encourage your child to cover one eye and trace the maze with their finger slowly. This causes the eye to track the finger from the start of the maze to the end with smooth eye movements. Repeat that step, but cover the other eye this time. Finally, trace it a third time without covering either eye, slowly tracking their finger from start to finish.
Here are some academic type ideas for your maze:
In Kasson-Mantorville, students celebrated spring by slapping cards, prompting them to say “green grass.” One pocket contained a large green square, and the other contained a Ziploc bag of green Easter grass, which can be found in local dollar stores, Walmart, or Target. Creeping and crawling are key developmental movements that help to solidify the foundational skills students need for academic success. We love seeing how each school offers variations to these vital activities, keeping students engaged in the movement.
Spring is in the air! We know this time of year is a very busy one for educators. There are so many things happening as we begin to think about what we need to accomplish before closing out the school year. The promise of green grass, blooming flowers, and vibrant rainbows has inspired us to create some vision activities you can print and put into use immediately.
Our springtime Overs and Unders (S.M.A.R.T. PreK) and X and O (S.M.A.R.T. Elementary) are a great way to work on eye movements and can be easily used when slipped into page protectors. They can be used with dry erase markers as a visual motor activity at a center. Remember to have your students cover one eye to trace the first line, cover the other eye to trace the second line, and finally trace the last line without covering either eye. |
AuthorSCheryl Smythe Archives
January 2026
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