What is Hocus Focus?

Hocus Focus™ is a creative instructional approach to support the learning of students with varying degrees of educational challenges and abilities including autistic, cognitively delayed, emotionally disturbed, and learning disabled students. The activities are motivational, promote positive self-expression, and reinforce many key skills needed for student success.

This is HOCUS FOCUS!

Hocus Focus™ Activities

One of the biggest challenges for educators is to find activities that are engaging and meaningful for students. But even more challenging is finding activities that allow for inter-disciplinary collaborations between educators, speech language pathologists, psychologists, counselors, and occupational therapists to help students with learning disabilities achieve the desired outcomes identified in their Individual Education Plan.

Hocus Focus™ activities combine education and imagination to help children improve cognition, motor skills, communication, and social skills while developing creativity and flexible thinking.

Meet Kevin Spencer

The curriculum was developed by educator and teaching artist, Kevin Spencer. Spencer is considered the leading authority on the educational and therapeutic benefits of magic tricks in the classroom. He is faculty in the education program at Carlow University (PA), a research consultant with UAB’s Institute of Arts in Medicine and Occupational Therapy department, and a Fulbright Specialist and subject matter expert on arts integration for special populations with the U.S. Department of State. His work has taken him around the world where he has conducted professional development training for educators and interactive classroom activities for students. He is a regular speaker at international education conferences and believes in the power of the arts to bring transformative educational experiences to students of all abilities.

“Every classroom should be a safe, fun place to learn. The Hocus Focus project helps bring that concept into reality. It builds confidence and self-esteem. It allows students to see that success can be achieved through hard work and attention to task. Every child deserves to feel the confidence and success that comes from applying the Hocus Focus methods. What this program does for education is truly magical!”

Special Education Teacher

Broken Arrow, OK