Following Directions Ideas (How to get your students to pay attention!)

Are you looking for some ideas to help your kids improve their following directions skills? Here are some easy ideas and worksheets to work on this very important skill while also having some fun.

 

Following Directions Ideas #1 -Get Active!

The appeal of Simon Says just never seems to get old with kids.  Within seconds I can have a captive audience with students attending to my every word and action.  I don’t even have to talk about the importance of paying attention and following directions while playing this game, the kids just know!

Here’s another free idea:

This Get Up and Move Following Directions Freebie is so simple to use, but kids just love it.  Its  the perfect combination of movement, silliness and attention that allows kids to get up and move and get a little energy out while also bringing kids focus back quickly.  This free version has just 8 pages.  If you are looking for more, try this

Get Up and Move Following Directions Activity

This version has 72 picture cards.  It’s so easy to incorporate just a few at a time to give kids some brain breaks while focusing on paying attention and following directions.  This is super easy to use in whole class lessons, small groups, in-person and online.

Following Directions Idea #2 Worksheets

Here are a couple of comprehensive Following Directions Worksheets packages that contain enough lesson plans to do one a week for the entire year.  Themed pages contain directions to be read aloud while kids get out their crayons and follow directions carefully to color, circle, underline, etc. specific items on each page.  Kids love this and it works as a perfect activity for concept terms, following directions, year-round themed vocabulary, and more.  The original Following Directions All Year is perfect for grades K-4 while the Following Directions Intermediate Grade Level works well with grades 3-8.

Following Directions Freebies

Thanksgiving Turkey Following Directions Freebie

July 4th Following Directions Freebie

Spring Flowers Following Directions Freebie

Following Directions in Cooking and Crafting

Following directions in recipes helps kids to understand the importance of paying attention to detail.  The wrong measurement of the wrong sequencing of tasks can completely mess up a recipe!  Similarly, working on arts and crafts activities with sequential steps is also lots of fun and further reinforces the concept.  Here are a few ideas:

Free Fall Recipes to Make with the Kids

Apple Themed Vocabulary Activities