**From FOCUS GAMES, a series of games I’ve developed to teach ‘focus’ to my beginning students (link)**

I don’t think I’m very good, yet, at naming games. But this one was designed for seeing, seeing five specific objects.

MATERIALS

5 smallish but distinctive objects. It could be anything, but I use a small plastic dinosaur, a pink paper clip, a penny, a polished stone, and a green frog.

PROCEDURE

Student sits, legs crossed, on their foot chart.
Teacher places five objects around the room in plain sight, but variable distances away from the student. I try to keep the objects within their visual field (including peripheral vision) while sitting still, so they aren’t tempted to twist. Keep it a looking game–not a moving game.
Student must stay on their foot chart, and just move their head and eyes.
Teacher calls name of different objects, student turns their head to look at the object.

GAME EXTENDERS

– put objects in more extreme distances/places
– student looks at object until the teacher says the next object (teacher controls how long they gaze at the object without looking away)
– just use eye balls (not whole head)
– put object outside peripherals so they really turn
– start to take the objects away, but see if they can remember and focus their eyes where the objects use to be
– place in a line directly in front of the student (not spread all over the room), and do very quick changes between each object
– put the objects on top of the violin while student is in playing position (practicing moving their eyes to different focal lengths on the instrument)
– objects are all over room, student points their scroll at each object as the teacher calls it (turning their feet/not twisting the body)