Following Directions

The ability to follow directions is important for school and home. Developmentally, by three years of age children should be able to follow simple two-step directions and by four years of age they should be able to follow three-step directions. There are plenty of at-home activities that can be used to encourage further development of these important skills.

Strategies

Visuals: Use visuals to help children follow common routines. For older children this could just be a written checklist, but pictures will be best for children who are not yet able to read.Finger counting: For multi-step directions get kids to count the directions off on their fingers. For example, 1.) go to your room, 2.) put on your pyjamas and 3.) pick two books.Songs: Try putting directions or a list that needs to be remembered into a song. Songs are a great cue for helping with memory for directions!

Concepts
‍Directions often incorporate a variety of concepts which can be difficult for young children. Find ways to incorporate familiar concepts into your routine whenever possible. Examples of concepts to focus on include:

• Comparative – big, littlest, same, different, bumpy, smooth
• Quantitative – all, every, half, whole, every
• Spatial – above, below, off, on, in, over, up, down
• Temporal – beginning, end, first, second, last, before, after, then
  

Games

Simon Says is a fun and easy way to work on following directions. Start with simple directions and make them more complex over time by increasing the number of steps. Try directions like:

• Simon Says touch your nose
• Simon Says pat your head and close your eyes
• Simon Says clap your hands, blink your eyes and stand on one foot.

Play with real objects while working on following directions. Consider using small toys, household utensils or even crayons to also practice colour recognition. Take turns being the teacher and letting your child be the teacher who gives you directions. Start with simple directions and make them more complex over time. You may try:

• Show me the fork
• Pick up the dice
• Turn over the spoon

Board games provide plenty of opportunities for various language targets and you can incorporate practice for following directions by having your child follow a simple directions before each of their turns. Give them an opportunity to give you a direction to follow before your turn as well!