Page 109 - Literacy Based Speech Language Therapy Activities Digital Version

Assessing What to Work on, Choosing Goals, and Taking Data

Quickly Improve Data for Following Directions

Educational plans often include goals that target
understanding simple directions. A child needs to follow
directions for her own safety as well as to reduce frustration.

Unfortunately, children most frequently hear rapidly-fired
commands in situations that demand an immediate response.
These situations do not provide visual support and offer little
time for teaching. While this is a necessary part of life for

many students, other opportunities are needed to practice
following directions in a more controlled setting. The events

that take place throughout the day offer multiple chances to show a child how to properly follow
directions. Most children enjoy participating in daily activities but can grow frustrated if they cannot
participate or produce good work because they cannot follow directions.

Your plan to quickly improve how you collect speech therapy
following directions data
Directions can be easily described as having a number of 1) steps and 2) components. Our

instructions increase in difficulty as one or both of these aspects increase in number. Look at this
chart below. You can see steady growth of an instruction as you add components.

1 Step 2 Steps 3 Steps

Sit (or)
Stand up and get in line Stand up, get in line, and
0 Components Stand up
don’t move

Touch your nose Start walking and stop Stop working, get in line
1 Component
at the water fountain and put on your coat

Give me the blue Walk with your hands Stop working, put your
2 Components square behind your back and things in your backpack,
stop in the hall and get in line

Put your stuff in your
Touch the big red
3 Components circle (from a group Go to your table and sit desk, go to the door,
in the yellow chair and walk silently down
of red or big things)
the hall

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