Free Following Directions Sample Activities

These challenges often arise from underlying skill areas such as auditory processing, visual processing, sequencing, attention, and working memory. Strengthening these foundational cognitive processes can make a world of difference in a child’s ability to listen carefully, retain instructions, and complete tasks accurately.

Why Following Directions Can Be Difficult

To successfully follow directions, students must:

1. Comprehend the language — They need a strong vocabulary and understanding of syntax.
2. Retain information — Working memory allows them to hold multiple steps in mind.
3. Process sensory input — Auditory and visual processing help interpret what is seen or heard.
4. Organize and sequence steps — Executive functioning enables them to carry out the steps in the correct order.

When any one of these areas is weak, students may appear inattentive, defiant, or forgetful, when in fact they are struggling with processing skills.

Building These Skills Through Play and Practice

The good news is that following directions can be taught and strengthened through fun, multisensory activities. By combining listening, reading, movement, and visual cues, children can engage more deeply with learning tasks. Examples include:

• Listening games that require responding to a series of verbal instructions.
• Sequencing puzzles that help children organize steps logically.
• Visual-motor activities that pair written directions with drawing or building.
• Collaborative games where peers must rely on one another’s communication and focus.

These approaches make skill-building enjoyable and help transfer improvements to classroom settings and daily routines.

Try Free Sample Activities

If you’d like to help your students strengthen their direction-following, processing, and sequencing abilities, you can explore my free sample activities designed to target these essential skills. These engaging resources offer a hands-on way to nurture language comprehension and cognitive processing while keeping learning fun.

Cheers, Erica