The activities used in the Hocus Focus project align with National and Common Core State Standards of Learning. The learning of magic tricks is an excellent way to address attention, language, planning, sequencing, organizing tasks and movements, fine motor skills, gross motor function/coordination, concentration, memory skills, and much more! The utilization of magic tricks may also offer unique and unequaled potential for both academic and personal/social development in a variety of classroom settings.

Workshop activities are held in the classroom – inclusive or independent – and last about 45 minutes. Students are taught simple tricks and given the opportunity to perform in front of their peers as an exercise in creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

“Our students with behavior disorders have a very hard time with frustration tolerance and task follow-through. I can see this being an enjoyable time where they are perfecting these skills without knowing it. We need to constantly find ways to reach our students and I appreciate the work you have done that gives us another tool in our belt. I have some students who definitely enjoy excessive attention. This gives them a way to get that attention appropriately, and, hopefully, become self sufficient so that they can feel good about themselves without the excessive external affirmation from others.”
-Kathy L. McClung, Teacher of Behavior Disorders, AEA 267-Bremwood, IA

“My students are kinesthetic learners.  Magic tricks gets them up and moving and using hands-on learning. When they presented their tricks to the class, they demonstrated confidence and developed public speaking skills and critical thinking skills.  My Aspergers student was very humorous and did better than expected. Hocus Focus has many practical uses in the classroom and gets the kids excited about learning. They felt empowered to deliver presentations and learned some new tricks to teach their friends and family (improved social skills).”