Are you saying I should read the directions?

We’ve all skipped reading directions before starting a task. It feels faster to get in, get out, and move on—until it isn’t! Reading directions with purpose helps students slow down and work more intentionally. When students rush or skip directions altogether, they often miss or misunderstand key parts of the assignment even when the content itself isn’t difficult.

One simple way to build this habit is to have your child circle the “direction words,” usually verbs like describe, explain, or show, and underline what each word is asking them to do. This turns the directions into something concrete and manageable, rather than a block of text to rush through. Even better, those same direction words become a built-in checklist. When your child can look back and check off each one, they know they’ve done what was asked, and can move on with confidence.