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Rynette R. Kjesbo, M.S., CCC-SLP
The ability to understand and follow directions
is an important skill that we use on a daily
basis. Your child might hear you say, “Put your
dishes in the sink, then brush your teeth, and
get ready for bed.” Your child’s teacher might
tell you, “Sign this permission slip, and return
it to me in the morning.” Your boss might
demand, “Get that file to my desk by this
afternoon!” Or your neighbor might remind
you, “Don’t forget to feed my cat while
I’m away. Give Fluffy a scoop of food in the
morning, and a scoop of food at night.”
One component that is critical to following
directions is the ability to give good directions.
If I told you to “Put the round thing in the
uh… thingamabob with the handle before
you turn it on…” would you know what to
do? Here are some tips to follow when giving
directions:
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Minimize distractions and get your
listener’s attention before giving
directions.
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Give directions one at a time. Be
clear, specific, and to the point.
Use vocabulary words that are
appropriate for the age of your
listener.
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Give your listener a few seconds to
process what you said.
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Ask your listener to repeat what you
said to be sure he/she understood.
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Use visual cues to help with
comprehension, when appropriate.
Let’s practice giving and following directions…
Materials Needed: Neighborhood map
of Booburg (one copy for each player or team).
Optional: laminate map and use dry erase markers
during game play.
Object of the Game: Help Joey find all of
the items for his neighborhood scavenger hunt (a
giant spider, spooky tree, black cat, pile of candy,
goofy mask, friendly ghost, and a jack-o-lantern).
Directions: Provide each player with a copy of
the neighborhood map for Booburg found on the
next page. Players take turns giving and following
directions to get Joey to each of the items in his
neighborhood scavenger hunt.
Bonus: Can you find the two blocks in the
neighborhood that are identical?
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