Exercises/games to help my four year old follow directions?

June 27, 2020 8:40 AM

My four year old was a very late talker, but has largely caught up -- yay! She still struggles a bit with following direction exercises (i.e., three step directions.) Does anyone have any advice on how to improve this?

I won't rehash her speech issues, but she was a very late talker and has always lagged a bit behind speech-wise. But her most recent evaluation had her hit solidly in the average range across the board, and her pre-school has no issues with her speech beyond some lingering articulation issues. We're really proud of her!

The one part of the test she did fairly badly on (very low average) was the whole "following directions" part -- i.e., touch your nose, twirl around and pat your head, etc (three steps).

We are now signed out of speech/language and the therapist didn't think it was a huge deal as she was still just about in the average range and it was the last thing she tested so maybe she was tired? I try to practice this with her, but she gets frustrated and knows she's being tested, or is just bored.

Has anyone had a kid with this issue -- and were there any fun games or exercises that helped? It hasn't been a problem practically (yet)-- I haven't noticed issues with following directions in real life -- but she's going to school soon where this may become more of an issue as she's expected to do more.

Would love any advice/games/ideas to strengthen this skill!

posted by caoimhe to Education (7 answers total)

My third child was told something similar, that they were within range on the skill but below average. In hindsight, now 20 years later, I am convinced he was just bored. He simply rejects testing like that. "I know how to do it, you know I know, so who cares about the test" was their attitude all through school. Regardless, at the time we tried to work with them in our own way. I am no expert and we were given little to no guidance, but here is what we did.

Whenever they asked a question like when is dinner, we would tell them after a series of tasks. We are having your favorite, mac and cheese for dinner, but first you need to pick up your toys then could you please tell your siblings dinner is ready, then wash your hands. Or, in the winter, we would say, we are going to the store, but first you need to put on your boots, then your jacket, then your hat. We found, and this is probably very specific to each individual child, that when it was something they were motivated to have or do, they followed multiple step directions pretty darn well. When it was something they did not want to do like go to sleep, I think they were smart enought to intentionally screw up the directions to delay the activity.

Btw, this child is now a pilot and has to follow many many steps prior to flight and does it to a T. Every single time.
posted by AugustWest at 9:11 AM on June 27, 2020 [4 favorites]

Developmental testing for a 4 year old is far from a perfect science. My third kid was given a logic test as part of a speech assessment and always pointed to the answer that was blue. He even announced "I like the blue one!" every time a blue option was given. If blue wasn't an option, he hovered his finger over all of the choices and said none of them were blue. He scored high average, and we all lost an hour of our lives.

That said, recipes are a fun way to learn to follow directions. First, peel the banana, next spread some peanut butter on the banana, third add some raisin ants on top!
posted by defreckled at 9:16 AM on June 27, 2020 [7 favorites]

Simon Says?
posted by mbarryf at 9:58 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]

What about singing games like "Heads and shoulders knees and toes"?
posted by bleep at 1:13 PM on June 27, 2020

Try taking turns. One person is the "director" and one is the "follower" The director gives a set of instructions and the follower does them and then you switch roles. The trick is that the director has to remember the instructions so they can prompt the follower. So when the kiddo is the director, you can deliberately forgot or get it wrong the kid has to remember what he said and the right order so he can correct you.

You also do this with crayons as well as physical stuff. Like "draw a red line and draw a blue circle that touches the line in one spot." In this case, you can take turns with the instructions and then both do it and see how differently it comes out.
posted by metahawk at 2:22 PM on June 27, 2020 [3 favorites]

Simon says. Your kid will be more interested if they get to issue the orders some of the time. This is critical for them to enjoy the game and not just think it's another power trip for the parents.

Mother may I take a step

Ship ahoy

Mister Brown, Mister Brown, let me down

My kids loved a game we called bureaucracy. The basic rule was for the functionary / bureaucrat to send the other player on increasingly absurd errands. Want to play in the park? First you have to go to the department of parks and recreation and fill out this form. Now you have to get it stamped at the services department. Now you need an ID. Now you need to get it notarized. Now you need to get the form co-signed.... The object was for the bureaucrat to always come up with yet some other requirement, the more absurd the better. Insurance, health forms, proof of tax paid, on and on, sending the player giggling from one parent or sibling to another. This will work better with older children who have some idea what bureaucracies and government departments are like, but a modified version can be played with small people who just put a scribble on a piece of blank paper in lieu of filling out a form. They have to understand the object is to run and do it and that the more they do the further they will get from where they want. The co-signer could be their stuffed animal, and the stamps can be made from potatoes or just craft stamps like they sell for kids. Oh look, no shoes no service! Go put your shoes on! etc. Sorry your insurance isn't valid without a security, you'll need the bank to certify you own your house. Then you need a building inspector to certify your house is actually valuable enough to stand as surety. Of course the kid doesn't need to understand what is going on as that's the nature of the game. It's a kind of running joke. Don't forget to get forms translated using Google translate... and then the translation will need to be certified correct too...
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:53 AM on June 28, 2020

Sometimes kids who struggle with sequences conceptually have an easier time working backwards. Like, "Ok, you go to bed. What do you do before that? You brush your teeth. How about before that?" Stacking songs are also really helpful with this, and they feel fun, not like testing or chores, for most kids. For example, "The House That Jack Built", or "The Green Grass Grows All Around" or "The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly".
posted by Nibbly Fang at 7:57 AM on June 29, 2020