The Important Skill of Listening and Following Directions
Following directions can be a difficult task for many kids. For some children, it is difficult to pay attention to a single voice when there is even the slightest noise in the background. Other children have difficulty remembering all the bits of information even though you just said it three seconds ago! Still more, other children can’t focus long enough to complete a task that has been given to them. Here are some simple games you can play with children to teach them the important skill of listening and following directions.
First, Second, Third. Tell your child to do three simple tasks at one time. To start this game, ask your child to bring you three things. “First, bring me a ball. Second, bring me something red. Third, bring me your smile.” Let your child find the ball and red item and bring it back to you with a smile. As your child becomes a better listener and follows your directions with more ease, you can add more tasks to the list. See if your child can make it to six directives and give them a special reward for following so many directions.
Simon Draws. Instead of playing the regular Simon Says again, place a sheet of paper in front of yourself and your child. Make sure neither of you can see each other’s papers. Give your child simple drawing directions and have your child draw it on his paper. You can draw it as well. For example, tell your child to draw the following steps:
Draw a circle in the center of the page
Draw six lines around the circle
Color your circle red
Add a triangle around the circle
Color the triangle yellow
Then, after you are done with the directions, compare your picture with your child and see if the pictures are similar or totally and completely different.