2 step related directions

Unrelated 2 Step Directions - Speech Therapy Activities — Toddler Talk

Receptive Language Lessons

Jan 14

Written By Stephanie Keffer

Toddlers typically begin to follow directions with two unrelated steps just before their third birthday.

These directions include 2 different actions that are completely separate from one another. You can think of these directions as following this template: First do action 1 with item 1, Then go do action 2 with item 2. For example, “Push in your chair and go to the sink,” or “Take off your shoes and hang up your coat.”

These types of directions are more complex and therefore more challenging than two-step directions with a single item.

As you practice, keep in mind that your toddler’s success in following directions will vary based on how tired they are, their general mood, and their current level of attention. Day-to-day fluctuations are expected and completely normal. 

Speech therapy tips for practicing with 2 step unrelated directions

Tip 1 - Create two-step unrelated directions

In this lesson, we’ll focus on following directions that:

• Have two or more steps (two different actions with two different items)

• Have not been practiced before and are not part of a daily routine

• Are __NOT__ related to an activity your child is doing when you give the direction.

For example, if your child is coloring on the floor, you could tell them, *“Sit at the table and open the Play-Doh.”* If they’re playing with a babydoll, you could say, “Oh no, your shark looks hungry and sleepy! *Feed the shark* and *put him to sleep*. ” 

Tip 2 - Offer the minimum amount of help your child needs

As you practice following directions with your child, it’s best to practice at a level where your child can successfully complete a direction with minimal help. Follow this step-by-step breakdown to help wean your child off of needing your assistance to complete directions. If your child completes the direction at any point, you do not need to continue with the remaining attempts. Praise your child for completing the two-step direction correctly. (“Yay, you got the cow and gave him a cookie!”).

Here are the steps:

1. Say your child is playing with a toy turtle. Start by giving the direction, “Get the cow and give him a cookie.” Don’t offer any visual clues about what you want them to do, like motioning with your eyes or hands.

2. If your child is unable to complete the direction on their own, repeat the direction and offer one piece of help, such as pointing to what you want your child to do. Say, “Get the cow and give him a cookie,” point to their cow, and then point to the cookie.

3. For your third attempt, repeat the direction again, but break it into two parts. First, say “Get the cow.” Once they grab the cow, then say “Give the cow a cookie.”

4. Finally, you can complete the direction together. Repeat the direction, and then actually help your child through the actions. Say “Get the cow and give him a cookie” as you guide your child to get the cow and feed it a cookie.

You’ll know your child has mastered this skill once they can consistently follow your directions in at least four out of five tries. 

Tip 3 - Expand your child’s vocabulary to help them follow directions

Following directions is a perfect opportunity to teach your child the meaning of new words. If you discover during practice that your child does not understand the meaning of a particular word, incorporate that word into your daily activities. For example, if you discover that your child doesn’t know what “scrub” means, talk about SCRUBBING your hands in the sink while you wash, and have them help you SCRUB pots and pans after dinner. As always, practice learning just a few words at a time to prevent you AND your child from feeling overwhelmed. 

And I will be the first to admit that thinking of these directions on the fly when you’re playing isn’t easy! We created 3 different activities with items and toys most people have. For each activity we’ve listed out directions you can practice with for this lesson!

Download our PDF activities guide for practicing with 2 step directions - speech therapy at home practice ↓

Practicing with 2 step directions - speech therapy at home activity

Washing Hands Before Snack

Gather the items you need for your snack so that your child sees that it is almost snack time.

In this activity, you will be helping your child understand 2-step directions where the parts are unrelated. The second part of the direction is “wash your hands” and the first part is something else in your home.

You will practice this skill before snack time, if your child likes snacks. If they don’t, pick another daily activity that your child looks forward to. You will tell them something simple to do, and then to go wash their hands. You will say, “it is almost time for snack! But first, put your shoes in your room and wash your hands.” Or “throw the wrapper in the trash and then wash your hands”, “put the cars in the box and then wash your hands.” The first part of your direction should be something your child already does, but maybe they don’t always do it routinely before washing. 

If they follow the direction correctly, celebrate that your child did it correctly by repeating what they did (“Yay, you put your shoes away and washed your hands!”) If your child does not do it, repeat the direction again. 

If they do not follow the direction the second time, break up the direction into two parts. Say, “put your shoes away” and wait for your child to put their shoes away. Then say, “go wash your hands. ” Then celebrate by repeating what they did (“Yay, you put your shoes away and washed your hands!”)

Here are examples of 2 step directions you may use:

• “Throw the wrapper away and go wash your hands.” 

• “Put the book away and go wash your hands.” 

• “Give me my phone and go wash your hands.” 

• “Put the banana on the table and go wash your hands.” 

Download our PDF activities guide for practicing with 2 step directions - speech therapy at home practice ↓

© 2020-2022. Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP. All Rights Reserved.

The content offered on ToddlerTalk.com is for informational purposes only. Toddler Talk is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, speech language pathologist, or other health professional.  By accessing the content on ToddlerTalk.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with information related to home speech and language practice, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on ToddlerTalk.com

Stephanie Keffer

30 Fun 2 Step Directions for Preschoolers

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“Put your slippers on and grab a spoon for your cereal.” Easy to do, right? 

For adults and older kids, following directions that have two steps can be quite an effortless task. For toddlers and young preschoolers, following multiple directions is a skill that takes time and maturity.

You can practise this skill in a fun way by using these 2 step directions for preschoolers.

What are Two Step Instructions?

Following directions that include two tasks is an important listening skill for children to learn. This helps them play games, follow instructions and procedures in the classroom and fit in socially with friends. 

Being able to follow two-step instructions involves developing different types of skills. 

Working memory is about holding onto information in order to use it. We want to be sure that kids can follow one-step directions effectively before moving ahead to giving them two steps to follow. 

Auditory processing skills are also very important for enabling kids to follow directions they hear. 

For example, auditory memory refers to when kids remember what they have heard, to use that information later. 

Auditory closure helps them “fill in the blanks” when they have missed hearing the complete direction and auditory figure-ground aids kids in tuning out background noise to hear instructions. [source] 

Speech therapy addresses not only how well children speak in words (expressive language) but also how well they understand what they hear (receptive language).  

The receptive aspects of speech therapy are connected to auditory processing, and getting lots of practice in following directions is helpful to build those skills. 

Verbal reasoning and vocabulary skills are also essential for children to comprehend your instructions. They must understand the words you are saying to be successful. 

When Should a Child Follow 2 Step Directions? 

At what age should a child start listening to and following one-to-two step directions? 

At 24 months of age, many children can follow two or even three-step directions, especially those that are related, such as picking up two specific toys to put away on a shelf. 

Although they can do this, research shows they choose to follow through only about half the time. 

At around age three, most kids effectively follow two-step directions. 

So then, when should a child follow 3 step directions? 

Four-year-old children are usually able to follow through on three-step instructions, especially those that are given in a logical order.  

[source] 

How do I Teach My Child to Follow Multi-Step Directions?

It’s important to talk to your children often, giving voice to your own thought process as you move through your day. Verbalize what you observe about your child’s movements throughout the day, as well. 

Read to your children, pointing to illustrations, and urging them to name objects. 

How do you teach following instructions? 

Listening skills in early childhood are very important and must be practised. Here are some tips:

• When giving your child instructions, state them clearly, in simple language, and give your child enough time to respond. 
• Look at them when giving directions, and make sure they are looking at you.
• Restate or clarify if your child has not followed through on the instructions given. 
• Model the correct actions, if necessary. 
• Praise your child when they follow through on a single instruction and they will eventually build the ability to follow multiple part instructions.  
• Don’t start giving 3 step directions until your child has mastered 2 instructions.

A list of 2 Step Directions for Preschoolers 

Some of the following examples include 2 step directions with prepositions or spatial concepts, such as “on,” “under”, and “over.” 

These types of words address the relationships between objects or between objects and individuals and can help teach positional language.

Make a game out of requesting that your children complete two actions. You can also make it fun by using these directions in familiar games that require giving directions, such as “Simon Says” or “Follow the Leader.” 

You could also play “Broken Telephone,” to see if the last person who hears the directions can follow through successfully.

Another fun game is Listen and Draw. Give multiple directions that your child must follow to draw the picture you describe. 

[source] 

Here is a list of instructions suitable for preschoolers:

1.   Sit down on the floor and close your eyes.

2.   Touch your head and turn in a circle.

3.   Stand up and pretend to be frozen.

4.   Bounce the ball and say your name.

5.   Do a jumping jack and then sit on the chair.

6.   Hop on one foot and smile.

7.   Place the teddy bear under the table and sit on the chair.

8.   Walk along the fence and sit on the swing.

9.   Reach your hands over your head and clap your hands.

10.   Stand next to Grandma/Grandpa and hold onto their hand.

11.   Draw a yellow sun above the green grass.

12.   Draw blue water next to a brown beach.

13.   Touch your toes and then spin around in a circle.

14.   Wash your face with this cloth and comb your hair.

15.   Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and place the other slice on top.

16.   Pull your blanket up on the bed and arrange your stuffed animals.

17.   Take a book out of your bag and set it on the table.

18.   Lie down next to Mom/Dad and close your eyes.

19.   Take off your mittens and hang them up to dry.

20.   Point to your eyes and say your name.

21.   Point to your lips and smack them together.

22.   Turn off the TV and place the remote on the coffee table.

23.   Stomp your feet and say, “I’m a dinosaur!”

24.   Choose a book from your shelf and read it to your doll.

25.   Cover your eyes and say, “Boo!”

26.   Turn around in a circle and then sit down on the grass.

27.   Wave goodbye to me and walk to the door.

28.   Climb up the steps and then walk back down.

29.   Fetch your school bag and put your lunch box inside it.

30.   Wash your hands for dinner and come back to sit on a chair at the table.

These are just a jumping-off place to start your mind working! Involve your children and challenge them to make up their own directions and ask you to follow them!

Check out these other listening activities for kids to get even more practice! 

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5 fears on the way to a dream

There are many reasons for changing careers. Most often they are associated with personal development. In 2009, candidate of psychological sciences Galina Gorbunova held study and found that the decision to change the field of activity is influenced by three desires:

• obtaining a higher social status;
• desire for self-improvement;
• desire to broaden one's horizons.

The desire to change a profession is a natural step for a person who has exhausted the possibilities of his professional field. But at the same time, changing a profession is not something ordinary and everyday, and in this situation it is quite natural to feel fear.

German psychologist Fritz Riemann believes that fear always appears when a person finds himself in an unresolved situation. “Each stage of development, each step towards maturity is associated with fear if they lead to something new, previously unknown and unknown in the internal or external situation, to something that we have not yet experienced,” Riemann writes in the book “Basic Forms of Fear” .

Consider the nature of the fears that accompany the transition to a new professional area - having dealt with them, it is much easier to take steps towards a new life.

In the psychology of professions, it is believed that the need for a change of activity usually occurs at the age of 30–33 years (or earlier), with the onset of the so-called professional career crisis.

It is important to overcome it for further success. What is the manifestation of the crisis?

When changing the professional area, it seems as if everything that happened before is a mistake. But rather, it will be a big mistake to devalue your work experience. Depreciation can be recognized by the following thoughts:

• “I made the wrong choice of university/profession”;
• "I've been doing useless work all this time";
• “I haven’t been able to make meaningful achievements at work.”

With such thoughts about success, one can not dream: there is a risk of devaluing a new profession, and also meeting with the fear of “making a mistake” again. Prevent these thoughts by summing up: for sure, in your current profession, you were able to achieve a lot and gain valuable skills. Many of them will be useful for the new profession. For example, if you worked in sales and decided to go into programming, then it will be much easier for you to sell yourself and your services, as well as products of your activity.

Even if you have devoted years to work that you now recognize as unloved, collect the juiciest fruits from this tree of experience. Compare two situations: you are looking for a new place with no experience at all, and you are looking for a job with the experience that you have now. Which employee would you yourself be more willing to accept into the company? With experience, you already cost more as a specialist and look much more attractive than other candidates in the job market.

According to the Federal State Statistics Service, almost 60% of young professionals do not work in the specialty they received at the university. The fact that they do not have the “necessary” crust does not prevent them from building a successful career. Therefore, often the lack of education is just an attempt to disguise self-doubt, and not a real obstacle to the dream job.

However, education will really help you feel confident. But the myth that there is a long education ahead, most likely, grows out of the experience of five or six years of study at a university. Don't want to waste time? Then we tell you what options exist.

— Short-term programs. In fact, many modern professions do not require long training. For example, to become a sales specialist, SMM marketer, radio host, style expert, florist, yoga instructor, you can take professional retraining courses and professional seminars that do not take much time.

- Second higher education in absentia. If the profession you want to go to still requires a higher professional education (for example, psychology, medicine, jurisprudence), then you can choose correspondence or distance learning, while doing internships and gaining experience in a new field. At the end, you will have both a diploma and experience.

- MBA programs. Such a master's program, as a rule, involves the development of the student as a leader. If you not only want to change your profession, but also look towards management or even your own business, then this is a good option. Usually programs are designed for working people, so the schedule should not be difficult. In addition, practice-oriented training awaits you, and there is a chance to build a new career in a short time with the support of teachers.

Fear, as if there is a hard way from the very beginning, is an echo of the memories of the first working experience. Bypassing this fear will help understanding that in fact you do not start with the basics. You are no longer the university graduate who has only studies behind him, and ahead of him is the unknown and misunderstanding of the inner workings of office life. In that situation, the fear of taking the first steps in a career was justified, and after a few years it is rather irrational, although it feels like something really threatens you.

A change of profession is a stressful situation, and it's time to provide yourself with internal support. This is actually not so difficult to do: it only takes a few steps.

- Reviewing past work experience. Remember how you started, what helped you to advance in the service. How did you overcome career difficulties? How did you cope in the most difficult times? Then you did not have the experience and conclusions that you have now, and it is because you know more that it will be easier for you to follow a new path. Such baggage does not pull to zero at all, does it?

- Useful links. Do you have friends from the professional field that interests you? Enlist their support! Find out if you can ask them questions, learn from experience, help with tasks. These specialists can become guides to the profession of your dreams.

- Opportunities for growth. Determine for yourself several ways of development in a new professional area. For example: paid internship, work as an assistant to a specialist in the chosen profession, freelance clients. These are the paths that will be clear to you in the implementation. It is important to be prepared for each option - if one does not work, try another. When there is clarity, the unknown is no longer scary.

In the 1950s, the American psychologist Solomon Asch conducted a series of experiments to find out how much a person is influenced by the opinions of others. The subject was placed in a group of several people and asked a simple task. The people surrounding the subject gave the same incorrect answers in agreement with the scientist. As a result, 75% of the subjects agreed with the opinion of the majority, despite its obvious fallacy.

The opinion of loved ones is often too influential. A person himself makes a choice: live his life or conform to the opinion of others about himself. The choice of a new profession, if you so desire, is only yours and no one else's. It is up to you to live with this choice in the future. How to deal with outside pressure?

- Turn to critical thinking. These are your judgments, your well-founded conclusions and the ability to apply your well-reasoned point of view in difficult situations. The opinion of a loved one may indeed be reasonable, but what is your opinion about changing profession? Give space to your opinion and see how your life changes.

- Allow someone else's opinion to be. One way or another, everyone is entitled to their point of view. This cannot be changed, but you can give people the right to think something about your decision. Even if these are the thoughts and arguments of loved ones, it is up to you to change the professional area, not to them. Naturally, the reaction to such a step may be different. They can only express their fears and concerns about what would happen if they were in your place.

- Thank you for your support. Surely in the environment there are people who will be delighted with the changes in your life. Hear what they think about your career change and thank them for their support. You can choose whose opinion to rely on!

This fear is directly related to the fear of unemployment. According to the Center for Labor Research at the Higher School of Economics, Russians tend to rate their level of social security and competitiveness low. This is the reason for the fear of being left without income. Be sure: in any case, you will stay at work if you want to and plan your actions.

— Gradual entry into a new profession. Start the path to a new professional area without leaving the current one. The main thing is to correctly redistribute time between everyday and new tasks. Once you feel that a new profession is profitable, you can take more drastic steps.

- Additional income. If you're fully committed to a new career, consider temporarily making extra money until your income level stabilizes on your new path. What services could you provide for money: transcribing dictaphone recordings, doing contextual advertising, babysitting or others?

- Opportunity to return. In case you don’t succeed immediately in a new profession, there is always a fallback option: return to your old job. Surely you have gained experience and will easily find a place until you are ready to try a new profession again.

Career guidance helps you understand yourself and choose a specialty that suits you. Use professional tools and cast aside fears on the way to your dream.

How are tarot cards related to astrology and which tarot lasso corresponds to your zodiac sign?

The seven cards are the seven planets that mankind has observed since ancient times: the Mage arcan - Mercury, the Priestess arcanum - the Moon, the Empress arcanum - Venus, the Wheel of Fortune arcanum - Jupiter, the Tower arcanum - Mars, the Sun arcanum - Sun and the World arcanum - Saturn.

The remaining 12 cards are the 12 signs of the zodiac.

Aries - Arcana Emperor

Taurus - Arcana Hierophant

Gemini - Arcana Lovers

Cancer - Arcana Chariot0003

Arcana Hierophant - Taurus