Following Directions Activities Your Students Will Love

Following directions is such an important lifelong skill. Without it, we can't function in everyday life. It's something parents begin to teach early on with their children and teachers continue to reinforce in the classroom. This skill doesn't always come naturally, and it is much easier for some compared to others. Learning to follow directions takes lots of practice and patience. Not to worry though! I have some great following directions activities your students will love.

Following Directions is Important

When we think of following directions it doesn't seem like there's much to it. But if you stop and really think about all things you must do to follow directions, it's easy to see just how hard it can be. Following directions requires us to do several things all at once. 

Here are just a few of the cognitive skills that go into following directions: 

• decipher the details of either spoken or written language
• put the directions into appropriate steps to complete the task
• learn to ask for clarification of directions if we don't understand
• determine what tools or supplies are needed to complete the task
• complete the task

Whoa! No wonder it can be so difficult for children as we give more and more complex directions.  But all is not hopeless!  We can teach our students how to follow directions and have fun at the same time!

How to Effectively Give Direction to Students

Have you ever sat back and thought about how you are delivering directions or instruction to your class?  Here are a few things I like to consider before giving my students directions:

• Am I being clear?
• Are the directions concise?
• Have I explained why?
• Did I give them time to process?
• Can they explain the directions back to me?

If the answer to these questions is yes, you are more than likely providing good directions to your students. 

Visuals are also great tools to use when practicing following directions with your students. Display directions on the board with words and/or pictures.  This allows students to self-monitor and complete activities independently.

For students that need fewer distractions or more help with multi-step directions, provide them with directions right at their student desk. Many students that struggle with following directions thrive with visual steps to reference.  

However you choose to provide visual directions, this is one thing I know: this will eliminate many questions and save students from frustration. When our students can follow directions and complete a task independently, they gain a sense of pride and ownership in their work.  And . . . with some practice, they start to naturally do this on their own!

Following Directions Activities

Mastering the skill of following directions takes lots of practice. We typically practice this skill informally all year long.  Many times this looks like classroom rules and procedures, completing assignments, or following one-time directions.  Boring! 

Learning to follow directions doesn't have to always be tied to something so serious.  In fact, we can help our students learn these important skills in a fun and interactive way!

Games like Simon Says are great ways to practice following directions.  While this game is usually one-step commands, why not increase the difficulty.  Give two and three-step directions for students to follow.  And . . . make a rule that they can't start doing the activity until you have finished the instructions.

Another favorite activity to practice following directions uses drawing a picture.  The students love it and it lends itself to simple and complex directions. 

I like to use following directions pictures in two ways: listening to directions and reading directions. 

For the listening to directions version, I will give students a blank sheet of paper. Then, I'll read step by directions aloud to them. I may say, "Draw a tree on the right side of the page. {Pause} Draw a big pile of leaves under the tree. {Pause} Draw a dog under the tree." 

I will continue to give directions until the picture is finished. The kids love the anticipation of finding out what the finished picture will be. I love that students are working on auditory processing skills and following directions.

You can also use following directions pictures as an independent activity that works on reading comprehension and following directions.

For this activity, I will provide students with a sheet of paper with the directions on it. Students will complete the task on their own. It is very easy to see who followed directions and who did not!

The students absolutely LOVE these following directions pictures and will ask to do them.  Not only are they a great way to teach following directions, but with a little discussion time afterward, students can really dig into why it is important and what they can do to improve. 

Following Directions Activities Just Got Easier

Wouldn't it be nice to have a year of following directions activities right at your fingertips? I thought so, too! 

So, I created a variety of following directions activities for my classroom.  As I started using them consistently I noticed that my students were getting better and better at following directions the first time!  

I want that for your students too!  That is why I have made these activities available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. In fact, I have an entire category just for following directions activities! 

Each resource will provide lots of practice for following directions, using critical thinking skills, improving listening and reading comprehension, and some creativity too. 

The following directions activities are very versatile. They can be used for:

• Whole group instruction
• Independent practice
• Morning tubs
• Centers
• Early finishers
• 
  Informal assessment for comprehension skills
• Auditory listening activities
• Lessons for a sub

There are many versions available like 

• Winter Following Directions
• February Following Directions,
• Thanksgiving Following Directions
• and so many more! 

You and your students will love them all.

I hope these following directions activities have given you some great ideas to get started with in your classroom. Remember, practice makes perfect and that goes for skills like following directions too!

Following Directions Activities for the Entire Year

If you are ready to incorporate following directions activities in your classroom, then make sure to look at this bundle.  It will have you covered from the beginning of the year to the end!

Save these Tips and Ideas for Teaching Following Directions

Be sure to save this pin to your favorite classroom Pinterest board, so that you can come back when you need some ideas for teaching or reviewing following directions with your students.

3 Tips for Teaching Multistep Word Problems

It's time to start teaching your elementary students multistep word problems. You are not alone if this thought makes you feel a little uneasy. Teaching multistep word problems is no joke! You know how difficult it can be to get students to read the problems, do the correct calculations, and formulate an answer for one step, much less multiple steps. But, what if I told you that you don't have to stress about teaching these important skills as much as you used to? Sounds great right? Check out my top 3 tips for teaching multistep word problems to help your students master this important skill! 

Why is Teaching Multistep Word Problems so Tricky? 

So, why is it that students tend to struggle when we introduce multistep word problems?  Well, there are several factors that can impact students when learning these types of problems. The biggest is that we have added a larger component of another very difficult skill to the mix: reading. 

Now along with figuring out a math problem, we have given them more words to read and comprehend. And even though we are conscious of the language used in the problems we present to our students, this can still trip them up. 

On top of adding more reading, multistep word problems also require more math. We are asking them to complete multiple operations to come to a correct answer instead of just adding or subtracting, multiplying, or dividing two stand-alone numbers. This jump can be hard! 

Finally, we ask them to put their answer into a complete sentence. Gone are the days of just spitting out a number as a correct response. 

So, essentially, multistep word problems combine reading, multiple mathematical operations, and writing. Some of the most difficult skills for our elementary learners! No wonder why teaching them feels like such a beast to tackle. 

Don't worry though! I am going to share my tips to help you make this process easier for not only your students but yourself as well. One of my biggest secrets though is using these print and digital word problem task cards! Pair these with the tips and your students are sure to be on their way to mastering multistep word problems!

Tip #1: Utilizing "I do, we do, you do" Practice 

If you haven't heard of "I do, we do, you do," I highly suggest using it throughout your teaching to help build independence for your learners! This setup happens to work perfectly for teaching multistep word problems. 

Since your students will probably not have a lot of experience with word problems like this, you want to begin by modeling how to complete the problem. This is the "I do" step of the practice. Modeling is key to helping students become masters at multistep word problems because it allows them to see the thought processes they should be using while solving the problems. 

When modeling, make sure to talk through each step you are taking and explain why you are doing it. For the best results, model several different types of multistep word problems for your students so that they can begin to see some of the variations in thinking that they might need to use. 

Once you feel like you have adequately modeled how to complete the problems, start the "we do" portion of the practice. In this part of the practice, students try solving a problem as a whole class or in small groups with your help. Your job during this time is to facilitate the completion of the problem. If students go astray, point them back in the right direction. If they have a question, stop and model the process more.

Finally, it is time for the "you do." This is where students independently practice solving the multistep word problems on their own. The idea is that they have seen it done, been helped while doing it, and should hopefully now feel more comfortable tackling it on their own. 

It is important to note that this isn't necessarily a linear process. You might have to go back to the "I do" and "we do" stages multiple times to reinforce concepts and help students towards true mastery. 

Tip #2: Highlighting Multistep Word Problems 

Like I've said before, multistep math problems pose quite a unique challenge for our elementary students. There is a lot for them to wade through to get the correct answer. That is why I teach my students the power of highlighting!

Since students will be dealing with multiple operations that they need to complete, I teach them to find the first operation they have to use and then highlight it in a specific color. I like using green with my students. Then depending on how the worksheet or task card is set up, they either write the operation they need to use or circle it. This can simply be putting the math sign such as +, -, or x. 

Then I have students continue to read the multistep problem and identify the second operation they need to complete. They highlight this sentence in a different color such as pink so that it contrasts from the first operation. Then, they record the operation they will need to complete. 

Once they know the operations, they have to identify the actual question that is being asked in the word problem. When modeling, I show students that this typically comes at the end of the problem, and I remind them to look for the question mark. They highlight the question in another color. 

By the time they are done highlighting, their problem should be filled with 3 different colors that point them to the specific information they need. Since the other words and information have been weeded out, this makes it much easier for them to focus on computing the correct answer. 

In fact, I love using this strategy so much, that I include it in my multistep word problem task cards so that other teachers can easily use it!

Tip #3: Practice, Practice, Practice 

This one might feel pretty obvious, but to truly help your students master multistep word problems, practice is key! In fact, since there is so much involved in just one problem, I recommend even more practice than you would normally present for a math skill. 

Remember students are tackling reading, multiple operations, and writing with these problems. Each of those skills needs time to develop, and the only way to do that is through practice.  But don't worry, more practice doesn't mean you necessarily have to make your multistep word problems lesson take up more days in the year.  Instead, think creatively about how you can weave this problem-solving practice into your day.

Give students 1 word problem a day as a math warm-up or as part of morning work.  Use a word problem as an exit ticket.  Create a problem-solving center as part of your math rotation.  If you take the idea of practice and take it down to 1 or 2 problems at a time, it is a lot easier to find little chunks of time in the day to weave in word problems.

But, I know what you are thinking. More practice equals more work for you. More problems to find or create, more worksheets to review and grade. I understand. Tackling a behemoth like multistep word problems is a lot of work. But I have something that can help take a little off your plate and help your students rock word problems!

Teaching Multistep Word Problems Just Got Easier! 

I may not be able to come help you grade all of that extra practice, but I can definitely help you provide it! Over the years, I have compiled numerous multistep word problems that are perfect for teaching your elementary students. I've converted them into printable and digital task cards so that you can use them no matter your style of teaching or your students' style of learning. Grab this Multi-Step Word Problems resource so that you have one less thing to think about when it comes to teaching this integral skill! 

This Multi-Step Word Problems resource includes an instructional Powerpoint so you can teach the steps and skills.  You also get lots of student practice problems in printable and digital formats.  All of the practice problems include reminders of the steps, to help students not only solve the problem but practice the process.

Helping you tackle one of the hardest math skills for your students is just... 

 My Kind of Teaching