Fall 2009

Start S.M.A.R.T.!
By Leslie Giese, MLRC Trainer and Mentor

If you’re like other teachers, you left the S.M.A.R.T. workshop excited and eager to set up the program in your classroom and start helping students.  However, when you arrived back at school, you didn’t know where to begin.  To help you get started down the “S.M.A.R.T. Path,” I’ve assembled a few ideas to get you going.  Just remember…don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is!

Designated S.M.A.R.T Room
Establish rules and procedures for the designated room.  Good classroom management is needed in the S.M.A.R.T. room too.  For example:

• Walk…no running in the S.M.A.R.T. room
• Take time to teach the CORE activities…crawling and balance beam. Then move on to creeping and rolling, etc.
• Picture labels are helpful for the children to know what to do at each “station.”
  
• Use directional arrows on the floor using painter’s blue tape
  
• “Shotgun Start” at stations to avoid children waiting in line
  
• Assign the children a partner to work within the stations and post a chart with their names
  
• Assign a spot in the room for Helicopter Spins or Reflex activities
  
• Make sure the children clean up stations before leaving the room or assign children to take turns being the S.M.A.R.T. Room helpers

Classroom
If this is your first year as a S.M.A.R.T. teacher, you will certainly have a “learning curve” for all of the activities.   In your white, 3-ring binder S.M.A.R.T. Manual, there’s a suggestions list called “All Through the Day the S.M.A.R.T. Way” (located immediately after the PowerPoint slides under the “Getting Started and Keeping It Fun” section).  To integrate the S.M.A.R.T. activities into your daily schedule, try doing the activities at the same time each day to create a habit.  Here are a few ideas:

• Calendar time…Say day/months and cross pattern walk in place, do Thumbkins, track a flashlight or laser pointer on the calendar numbers
  
• Story time...do the Auditory Discrimination, Auditory Closure and Sound Blending activities after you have read the story.  Use the vocabulary from the story.
  
• Before going to lunch...do vision activities: Basic Vision, watch a swinging ball, track a flashlight or laser pointer on the alphabet chart, do Near/Far Focus, do Wagon Wheels in the hallway
  
• Reading...warm up eyes with Thumbkins, Near/Far Focus, review word families and vocabulary using Learning Ladders, use Concept Cards
  
• Spelling...Airplane Writing and Rainbow Tracing
  
• Math...Learning Ladders to learn skip counting and shapes
  
• Movement Breaks...Helicopter Spins, Superman, Popcorn, Giraffe Stretch, Rocking Horse, Cross Pattern activities

Playground
When your children are out on the playground try doing 1 or 2 S.M.A.R.T. activities to give them extra stimulation.

• 3-4 Helicopter Spins before free play or returning to class
  
• Overhead Ladder (if available)
  
• Walking heel/toe on the balance beam
  
• If the grass is dry, do Superman, Popcorn, Balance Sequence (stable-table position), Giraffe Stretch, or Rocking Horse

Parents Education
Some teachers find it difficult to explain the S.M.A.R.T. program to parents.  To help, explore the MLRC website at www.themlrc.org.  It contains many resources for your assistance.  Try clicking on the MLRC in the News heading to find newspaper articles and TV news clips.  The KARE 11 TV news clip could be shown at parent meetings (if you have proper equipment).  Also, click on “Online Resources.”  You’ll find a DVD, parent letter, parent brochure in English/Spanish, CORE posters, principal packet, and more.

Have a S.M.A.R.T. and fun year!