Adapting the instructions to your child’s level of understanding is one way to allow them to succeed and feel valued.
- The important thing for a child to follow instructions is that they understand them well.
- Instructions should be positive rather than restrictive.
- It is recommended to use the game to make a child accept instructions.
For a child to follow an instruction, he must first understand it. Adapting your requests to your level of understanding is therefore essential. Each instruction can become an opportunity to grow, with kindness and respect for your own pace.
Understand your child’s developmental level
The first step in giving appropriate instructions is to take your child’s age into account. The younger he is, the simpler and shorter the instructions should be. For example, a child aged 1 to 2 will better understand a direct instruction accompanied by a gesture: “Give me the book” while pointing at the book. From 2 years old, he can follow instructions made up of two actions, such as “Go get your blanket and come here.” Between 3 and 5 years old, he becomes capable of understanding more complex instructions with several steps: “Put away your toys, choose a book, then sit down.”. However, even at this age, instructions involving notions of time can still be difficult to grasp. It is therefore important to remain patient and to reformulate if necessary.
Use positive and clear instructions
A positive instruction directly explains what he must do and helps him understand what is expected of him: “Walk gently around the house.”instead of “Don’t run”. This saves them from having to guess what behavior they want and makes the request more accessible. It is also essential to formulate clear and specific requests. For example, rather than saying “Be wise”it is better to say “Stay in your chair while we eat.”. For younger children, adding an explanatory gesture can help reinforce understanding.
Promote understanding through play
Playing games with simple instructions helps them develop their comprehension skills while having fun. You can, for example, create a course in the garden or park, where he must follow instructions such as: “Jump to the tree, then crawl under the table”. Also take advantage of everyday moments to integrate instructions, such as asking him to set the table by giving him simple instructions: “Put the plates on the table” Or “Place the fork to the left of the plate”. These daily activities help him understand instructions in a concrete and enjoyable way.
Find out more: Authority explained to the parents of Claude Halmos.
