Don’t skip the directions!

Reading directions has many obvious benefits, but perhaps most significantly, it forces students to slow down and approach the assignment more thoughtfully. Too often, students skim directions quickly—or skip them altogether—and miss key elements of an assignment. To give your child the best chance at success, have her circle the “direction words” (usually verbs like “describe”, “explain”, “show”) and underline what those words are asking her to do. By doing so, not only will your child have a better understanding of what the assignment is requiring her to do, but she’ll also have created a clear roadmap for checking her work when she’s done. If she can “check off” each direction word as “completed”, she’ll know she’s done a thorough job—and can confidently move on to the next assignment!