6 Ways to Make Instructions Stick 

In her high school English classroom, Rebecca Alber often repeated instructions over and over again. Focused on “honing the more measurable literacy skills—reading, writing, and speaking,” the important work of holding kids accountable for skills like paying attention to directions felt less pressing. 

But when students grow accustomed to “hearing instructions twice, three times, and even four times, listening the first time around becomes unnecessary,” writes Alber, now an instructor at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education.

Even when teachers feel they’ve delivered clear, concise instructions—and that students have absorbed and processed the details—the outcome can be frustrating. 

“As you peered into the crowd, youngsters nodded with assurance, giving you overall satisfaction. They definitely got it!” writes Daniel Vollrath, a high school special education teacher. “A minute later the question gets asked, ‘What do we need to do again?’”

We dug into our archives to line up six smart teacher-sourced strategies designed to cut down on the need to repeat instructions and shore up what Vollrath describes as students’ ability to “listen with understanding.” 

REPEAT AFTER ME

To get students listening more closely the first time, “ask a couple of students to re-explain the instructions to the class,” suggests educator Connie Radbourne. 

“They never know who I will ask! It helps them to listen closely.”

For a slightly more involved variation, ask students to turn and repeat the directions to a partner, then ask a volunteer to repeat the directions to the entire class.

 “This process takes less than a minute but allows additional time for auditory processing and repetition for any students who may need it,” notes Gina DiTullio, a principal in Rochester, New York.