Does your 2nd grader follow school instructions well?

[Mommy22alyns]

:bigear:

 

This is not an overall problem with following directions. She can do chores and self-care with greater initiative than Rebecca. But the kid just does not stop and READ directions in her school work, and that will get her in trouble! For example, her spelling will have a picture and then ask her to write the spelling word with the same vowel sound as that picture. She'll write the name of the picture. :tongue_smilie: Things like that.

 

Is mine the only one?

[Arcadia]

My 7 year old has the same issue and he is in 3rd grade which makes it worse. For him, it was a case of being too impatient to read properly all the instructions.

 

We started doing Logic Puzzles every night as an after dinner activity and he realize he need to read carefully to solve them. Now he is more careful in reading instructions. We print the free logic puzzles here.

[Element]

No. My second grader (turned 7 four months ago) can not follow directions, even if I read them to her. I have to read them to her and have her repeat them to me (not read them, but actually listen to me and repeat them) and then she *might* remember the directions. Even at that point, it's 50/50. :confused:

[boscopup]

I think my son started to follow directions during his second grade year, maybe toward the end? He correctly does R&S Spelling on his own now. A year ago, I would have had to read directions to him (despite his reading ability being high level).

[Farrar]

Nope. :D

[1GirlTwinBoys]

My twin boys couldn't very well last year in 2nd but I've seen improvement this year.

[Shelsi]

Today I was grading my 3rd grader's geography worksheet.

 

The question was "What local highway is between X city and Y city?"

 

Ds's answer was "20 miles."

[MerryAtHope]

LOL, no! My kids did things like this (and even occasionally at older ages will get caught not reading the directions or only reading part). Very normal. When we go over their work, I have them read the directions out loud to me if it's obvious they didn't read them. They usually say, "oh" kind of shame-faced, LOL, and then quickly correct their work!

 

Merry :-)

[Hedgehogs4]

my dd 7 has the attention span of a flea when it comes to directions. a flea. so i guess the answer is no. she cannot follow directions.

[jer2911mom]

One thing that has really helped my dd7 with following directions is CLE LA. Starting in the 1st grade level, they really teach kids how to break directions into individual steps. They have a checkbox after each step in paragraph of steps to make sure the child followed each one. They also switch up circling, underlining, etc., to make sure the child has really paid attention. It has really made a difference for us.

 

HTH,

Kathy

 

ETA: I see you are using the math. It helps as well, but the LA really has helped us.

Edited September 27, 2012 by jer2911mom

[Jay3fer]

Nah, it's every kid to some extent, I think. Smart kids jump ahead with the answers as soon as they think they know the question. I have told my oldest ds (turning 18) more than once that the HS math courses he takes may be easier for him than for the other kids, but for THEM it's a math course; for HIM it's a listening-and-following-instructions course. He'll do everything brilliantly and then not write the answer in the form the question requests it... he'll just write in whatever he thinks should go there. Argh. :-)

 

Kind of makes me want to give them this joke test... ;-)

 

ETA, but seriously, I enjoy JUMP Math, our math program, for this specific reason. All steps are broken down verrrrry carefully. It also minimizes its use of English for numerous reasons, including accessibility to kids who either aren't reading well yet (very possible in the Grades 1-3 books) or are from families where English isn't the first language. You can see sample worksheets here if you scroll down.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Jay3fer

[justLisa]

I think it is just the nature of young children to be narrow minded and want to be told what to do. 2nd grade is when it started to come together here.

 

"Let's read this together...okay, what do you thin the instructions are telling you to do?" Talk about it, give hints, but don't say exactly what to do.

 

Eventually the kid doesn't want to have a 20 minute convo with mom when he knows it won't work, and he'll figure it out on his own. :lol:

 

It's a process. Sometimes a longer one, but they don't all of the sudden wake up and decide today I'm going to teach myself. It is sloooooowwwww.

 

Here it is almost a race against how much time do you want to take for mom to drag it out of you vs the time it would take you to look back and figure it out. Mom has a bit of patience ;)

[happyhomemaker]

I make ds read the directions out loud before he starts a new section of something. That seems to help. If he doesn't do that, he may do it perfectly or it may be his random interpretation of what the answers should be.

[thebacabunch]

No. THat is half of what I am teaching. I have a big jar of candy. It's amazing how well they pay attention when the jar comes out. lol!

[kemilie]

my dd 7 has the attention span of a flea when it comes to directions. a flea. so i guess the answer is no. she cannot follow directions.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

Mine too. He'll zip through a work page without reading what is being asked for. I almost admire the confidence required to come up with answers without really knowing the question. Or I wish I did! :) We discuss it, quite regularly... I am just hoping it is a stage he'll grow out of!