You know the lingo.
1 step
2 step
Multi-step
before
after
all but
under
neither
Last year, I worked on following directions constantly. I would target the above vocabulary and usually students understood what to do after a few sessions. I found that my kiddos would do a great job following directions in my small group but teachers continued to come to me saying “Little Johnny cannot follow directions!”
“Why is this?” I wondered. I continued to work on following directions in my small group and I continued to have success. However, still no carry-over or transfer of skills. Definition of insane? Doing the same thing over and over, hoping for a different result. I finally decided I needed to do something different. I needed to give my students a STRATEGY for following directions.
Enter:
Rehearsal with Visualization
Rehearsal with Visualization
This evidence-based intervention provides direct instruction on successfully following directions. The group that was taught Rehearsal with Visualization was shown to demonstrate better skills when following directions than the group that was not. Here’s the citation to the full article for more information.
Gill, C.B. Klecan-Aker, J., Roberts, T., Fredenburg, K.A. (2003). Following directions: Rehearsal and visualization strategies for children with specific language impairment. Child Language Teaching and Therapy February 2003 vol. 19 no. 1 85-103.
Basically, it’s how all of us typically follow directions but this breaks it down into steps for students to follow.
Steps for students:
1. Repeat the direction. Before completing a direction, I need to say it aloud.
2. Visualize myself following the direction. (I tell my students to close their eyes and “make a movie” in their heads to visualize the direction).
3. Follow the direction.
Now, every time we practice following directions, my students know before they even move to follow the direction, to repeat it and close their eyes. I tell them, in class you don’t need to say the direction out loud (otherwise other students might think you’re talking to yourself) but you do need to say it in your head and picture yourself doing it first.
I’ve even taken this lesson to the classrooms. I have a strategy to offer when a teacher tells me so and so is not able to follow directions.
Here are some of my favorite activities I use when practicing following directions:
I absolutely LOVE these following directions pages from Speechpage.com.
I have students arrange the Velcro squares on the page (using our Rehearsal with Visualization strategy) and have them give each other directions.
Students must use specific vocabulary when giving these directions. I hear a lot of “Which banana do you mean?” or “Which monkey?”
Sometimes we pretend we are working at a fast-food restaurant (can you say functional skills?) and I have students make me a hamburger using our visualization strategy.
And don’t forget the ice-cream!!! Yum! Warning-these activities can make you very hungry!
I also love this free activity that Jenna made Ice Cream Truck Following Directions
So….the next time you are working on following directions or hear that common “Johnny can’t seem to follow directions!” give your students a proven strategy!
Come as you are. Leave encouraged.
I'd love for you to join my newsletter family so that I can start sending weekly encouragement as well as access to an entire library of free resources like this Student Self-Progress Report Sheet!
Jenna Rayburn says
March 13, 2013 at 3:10 amThanks for the shout out! Off to check out those cool ice cream and burger making sets!
Dianna says
March 13, 2013 at 4:00 pmGreat suggestions. I think I will try this today 🙂
Lauren L. says
March 15, 2013 at 2:19 amLove these tips! My kids have trouble with carry-over as well. I’m eager to try a new strategy. Thanks!
Lauren
Busy Bee Speech
Debbie Singer says
December 10, 2013 at 10:23 amLOVE these activities! SOOOO cute and perfect for some of my kids!
Debbie
http://www.AutismEducators.com
Kristen says
September 17, 2015 at 2:03 amthank you so much! this was an awesome post and super helpful for me to be able to reference an EBP article!!
did you get the “lingo” hierarchy at the top of the post from a specific article/source?
Kristin says
March 20, 2017 at 2:12 amThe article you referenced was written by one of my grad school professors. I actually used their protocol for my graduate research psper, and I teach this strategy to all of my students. It’s really great!
Nicole Allison says
April 11, 2017 at 1:28 amWow! That’s pretty neat Kristin!
Marcia Morgan says
March 20, 2017 at 3:25 pmHi Nicole,
I will try these this very week and give you some feedback later
Thanks for sharing,
Marcia
Elana Shinkle says
March 20, 2017 at 3:39 pmThanks; perfect timing for my new teletherapy student!
Andrea Millar says
April 3, 2017 at 11:39 pmThank you for promoting evidence-based practice. Too many practicioners drill directions (I’ve definitely been one of them!) rather than teaching actual strategies. Love it!
Dawn says
February 5, 2018 at 9:31 pmMy son is having difficulty like this in a classroom setting, but not individually or in smaller groups. He’s in kindergarten. Are these activities good for his age, or would you suggest something else? Thanks!
Sarah Meikle says
October 24, 2018 at 9:57 amI use this strategy and call it “say it, imagine it, do it” with a visual of a stick person and a speech bubble, then with a thought bubble, then in action. Thanks for sharing your ideas for how to practice it!
Susan says
November 13, 2018 at 8:45 pmWould you see this strategy is appropriate for preK as well?
Nicole Allison says
December 3, 2018 at 6:11 pmDefinitely! They can definitely be taught to repeat back simple directions before doing them!
Jess says
March 30, 2019 at 5:51 amThank you for actually providing an EBP citation! Awesome can’t wait to try this! Thank you