Following Directions

HOW CAN I CREATE THE BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR MY CHILD TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

Some children have problems following directions even when they hear you talk and understand your words.  To help your child learn how to follow directions you can minimize distractions and it will help your child to focus on what you are saying.

Here are some ways you can create an environment that encourages your child to listen and learn:

 
1.    Get rid of distractions.  Noises, like the television, radio and other people talking, make it hard for your child to listen and follow directions.  Before you give your child a direction, turn off the noise or take the child somewhere quieter.
 
2.    Prepare your child to listen.  Let them know when it is time to listen. Encourage your child to look at you.  Call their name and say. “Time to listen.” You can also give your child a signal such as pointing to your ear.
 
3.    Pair actions with words when you give your child a direction.  The action makes it easier for your child to understand and follow directions.  Natural gestures will give your child added clues about what you want him to do.  For example, say, “Give it to me,” while reaching for the item with our hands.
 
4.    Speak clearly and slowly.  A slower than normal rate of speech and pauses between ideas will help your child understand what you want him to do.  Emphasize important parts of the direction by saying those words LOUDER and L O N G E R.
  5.    Repeat instructions to help your child remember.  When you repeat- just repeat the key words or phrases. For example: teeth then book. If you use too many words over and over your child will tune you out and not follow any directions!

  6.    Give one direction at a time or group directions that are similar.  For example, say, “Wash your face and brush your teeth ; then get your book and we’ll read it together” .
  7.    Use examples, demonstrations or pictures.  When possible, use examples from your child’s background, interests or experiences.  These cues will make directions more meaningful to your child.
  8.    Use words that your child knows and understands.  If you must use new words or concepts, use these words in a variety of ways to help your child understand their meaning. Use body and gestures to get your point across.
  9.  Be positive.  When your child follows all or part of a direction, praise your child.  Provide positive feedback to help your child learn.

DOES YOUR CHILD KNOW THE VOCABULARY

FOR FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS?

Following directions can be tricky. You need to know a lot of words! Children might have trouble following directions because they don’t understand the words (vocabulary).  To follow directions successfully, our child must understand a lot of different concepts (concept vocabulary).

Does your child have the words and concept vocabulary to follow directions?  Ask yourself these questions:

Does my child know colors?

Examples:  red, grey, orange, pink. 

• Could he follow this direction?  “Everybody get a red ball and stand in line”.

Does my child know shapes?

Examples:  circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, diamond. 

•  Could he follow this direction?  “Draw a square on your worksheet”.

Does my child know size words?

Example:  big, tall, large, medium. 

•   Could he follow this direction?  “Circle the dog with the short tail”.

Does my child know common school directions?

Examples:  cross out, underline, draw a circle around, and put a line through. 

•  Could he follow this direction?  “Cross out all of the works that start with b”.

Does my child know quantity words?

Examples:  most, least, few, some, less than. 

•   Could he follow this direction?  “If you have less than 5 mistakes on your worksheet, you can have free reading time.”

Does my child know spatial concepts?

Examples:  in, on, under, beside, behind, in front of, above, below, left, right, east, west. 

•   Could he follow this direction?  “Write your name above the first question.”

Does my child know time concepts?

Examples:  today, yesterday, before, after, later. 

•  Could he follow this direction?  “Before you go out for recess, hand in your math”.

Does my child know sequence words?

Examples:  first, second, last, next, beginning. 

• Could he follow this direction?  “The second person in each row can hand out the workbooks.”

Does my child know opposites?

Examples:  hot/cold, skinny/fat, rough/smooth, wide/narrow, same/different.  

•   Could he follow this direction?  “Be sure to use different colors on your picture.”

Does my child know emotion/feeling words?

Examples:  happy, afraid, tired, disappointed. 

•   Could he follow this direction?  “Which character in the story was angry?”

The following activities are some suggestions of games to play with children. Please adapt them to meet the needs of your child/student.  Listening and comprehension monitoring skills can always be encouraged when reading poems and stories.

·         Barrier Games:  The listener and speaker have identical sets of objects (e.g. a girl doll, a boy doll, a red chair, a blue chair).  A cardboard barrier is placed so that the listener cannot see the speaker’s objects.  The speaker arranges his objects and then the partner has to match the items after being given a direction by the first player.

Barrier games can be created using any two sets of materials that can be manipulated, including:

Ø  Mr. Potato Head

Ø  Lego

Ø  Sticker boards

·         Crafts:  The speaker gives instructions (e.g. to make a paper snowflake).  The listener is guided to evaluate whether the instructions were adequate or request clarity.

·         Cooking:  A recipe is read out loud.  The child must request repetition or clarification, and ask the speaker to reduce the rate of speech or the number of items presented.  For example, the speaker may read the entire recipe rapidly without pausing.  The student is prompted to say, “Tell me them one at a time.”

  

·         Role Playing:  Act out the communicative exchanges. Example:

Ø  One person invites another to a party giving the date, time, and address.

Ø  Telephone messages.

Ø  A waiter takes orders in a restaurant and gives them to the chef.

Ø  Classroom situations.

•  Play Simon Says