S.M.A.R.T. Newsletter - Apr. '19

That's One S.M.A.R.T. Teacher!
​Do you feel like the end of the year will never come and, when you think about the students who are struggling, it seems like the end of the year will be here too soon? Educators everywhere are beginning to feel overwhelmed as they look ahead to the end of the year…and students are feeling exceptionally restless! This restless behavior can mean some sloppy work when it comes to S.M.A.R.T. Activities. Now is the perfect time to stop and reteach your expectations during on the S.M.A.R.T. Course. It’s what good S.M.A.R.T. Teachers do!
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As you reteach remember, the only two portions of the S.M.A.R.T. Course that should be done quickly are the Alligator Crawl and Pencil Rolls. For the Alligator Crawl, focus on opposite hand/foot, toe digs (take shoes AND socks off if possible), keeping low, and hand touching the midline.  For Pencil Rolls remind your students to use their hips like a tire and to make a pointed pencil with their hands.

The other CORE Activities shouldn’t be done painstakingly slow, they should be done at a slower more deliberate pace. Slow is GOOD!

For Slap/Creep Tracks, focus on smooth creeping by putting familiar, mastered materials in the pockets to promote smooth eye movements. ​​

For the Balance Beam, focus on heel to toe walking; if you’ve been using a beam, return to a line on the floor so your students can focus on making sure their heel is kissing their toes.

​For Tactile Trackers/Wagon Wheels, focus on keeping both eyes open while covering one eye at a time, and slowly tracing the line. Finish without covering either eye for the final trip on the tracker.

Photos by Red Bird Hills, courtesy Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

References:
S.M.A.R.T. Pre-K CORE Guide pages 40-41, 47-49, 50-53, and 64-65
S.M.A.R.T. Curriculum Guide pages 51-53, 66-68, 69-71, and 148-150

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S.M.A.R.T. Spaces
April showers bring May flowers, or so the saying goes. Here in the Midwest it is a little more like February snowstorms bring April floods, so we’re ready for the spring colors! Now matter where you are located we are sure you’re ready to add some springtime to your S.M.A.R.T. Space too!

With that in mind, we just love how Lake Crystal added die cut flowers over their Alligator Crawl! They already had the PVC pipe arches (see March 2018 S.M.A.R.T. Spaces for blueprint) to keep the students low while crawling and they have found the arches fun and easy to decorate.

Just by making that small change, they transformed their space for spring!

Photos by Red Bird Hills, courtesy Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

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S.M.A.R.T. at Home
Have you found, despite your best intentions, it challenging to read to or with your child each day? Belinda George, a first year principal, at Homer Drive Elementary in Beaumont, TX has started a tradition that allows her students to listen to a book once a week. Each Tuesday, she puts on comfortable pajamas, settles in, greets students as they sign in, reads a book on Facebook Live, and asks questions that encourage interactions.

Learn more about her on the following website or follow Home Drive Elementary on Facebook! You could enjoy the break on Tuesday evenings and join this outstanding educator and her story of the week!
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https://www.the74million.org/article/watch-texas-principal-reads-bedtime-stories-every-tuesday-to-students-at-her-school-and-to-thousands-of-fans-around-the-world/

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Time Saving Tips
Spring is in the air! We recognize this time of the year can be a very busy one for educators, and still you have the desire to keep things fun and stimulating for your students. 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. Pre-K) 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 and placed on the wall!

Remember to have your students cover one eye to trace the first line, cover the other eye to trace the second line, and finally to trace with last line with both eyes.

Download Overs and Unders PDF file

References:
S.M.A.R.T. Pre-K CORE Guide pages 78-79
S.M.A.R.T. Curriculum Guide pages 215-216