Following Directions Worksheets

Learning to follow directions is an important skill for all students to master, and by the time students start Kindergarten, they should be able to handle simple 2 to 3 step instructions. Still, the school environment is a busy and exciting one, and even older students can benefit from activities that support listening to, and complying with, instructions. To help, we assembled several following directions worksheets.

Following Directions Worksheets

This fun pack is themed on characters from Zoo Academy and Zoo U and provides three following directions worksheets that challenge students to listen or read carefully and to closely follow directions in order to complete a task. In order of increasing difficulty:

Following Directions Activity

The second following directions lesson is a twist on the classic game Simon Says. Students will follow “Principal Wild’s” instructions to make different movements with their body, such as hopping on one foot or hands on their head, only moving when the instruction is preceded by “Principal Wild says…”

To challenge their Impulse Control Skills, a few students will act as distractors, trying to engage students in conversation while the instructions are happening. Students will need to focus intently on the instructions and ignore the distractions to know when and when not to move.

Following Directions Activity Directions

Talk with your students about it is important for everyone to pay attention and follow directions and by not being a distractor to classmates.

Discussion questions will include:

• Have you ever missed something important in class, like directions, because a classmate was talking to you? If someone is talking to you or distracting you in some other way, and you miss something, is it your fault or theirs?
• Do you think you’ve ever been a “distractor” during class? How do you think the other students felt when you were talking while the teacher was talking?

Even if someone is purposely trying to distract you or make you break the rules, your behavior and how you respond is always your choice. A classmate can make it difficult, but they can’t force you to not pay attention or not follow directions.