Following instructions activities

19 Activities for Middle School Students to Improve Following Directions

Whether 1-step directions or multi-step directions, students need practice and clear expectations. Students follow hundreds of directions every year at school and at home. In order to improve their ability to process oral directions and listening skills, you can incorporate fun activities into your school day.

Try some of these 19 activities and notice the difference you will see over a period of time, as students improve with following directions.

Incorporate your school curriculum into teaching kids to follow directions. Using science experiments in your school setting will improve academics, engage students, and strengthen students' following directions skills and abilities.

Learn More: Moms

Further developing science skills and learning to code are beneficial for so many reasons. In addition to helping students learn computer science skills, they can also work on fine motor skills and improve following directions skills. Coding is ideal and appropriate for all grade levels.

Learn More: Teach Your Kids Code

This worksheet takes on the form of a riddle or secret code to be solved. For students who need a break from screen time, let them try to decipher the code by solving the riddles. The following directions worksheet is a good way to also encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Learn More: Centervention

Simple instructions will be easy to follow and form a unique craft! This activity uses multi-step directions to have students create a paper masterpiece. Students will need to pay attention to directions and details to be successful in this awesome activity.

Learn More: Speech Snacks

5. Boat Craft

This fun and challenging activity allows some creative freedom but requires multi-step directions as well. This activity is great for upper elementary teachers or middle school teachers to use with their students.

Learn More: Pedia Staff

This activity will require key listening skills. Teaching students to make something with their hands is a great way to improve following directions. This is ideal for motor skills as well. Students may have a harder time working with their hands, so making the teacher aware of expectations is key.

Learn More: Moms

Giving the child directions for this printable activity is key. Lists of directions are included for students to read themselves or for the teacher to call out to them. Precise directions will help students know when to do each step in the process.

Learn More: Tam Aqua K12

8. Summer Olympics Following Directions Game 

This adorable summer Olympics game is great for following directions. Perfectly themed activity sheets are designed for listening activities that focus on teaching students 1-step directions, 2-step sequential directions, and even 3-step sequential directions.

Learn More: Speech Time Fun

This leaf craft is a perfect hands-on activity for teaching students the importance of following directions. As they listen and perform each task in each step, students' following directions skills will improve with practice.

Learn More: Inspontaneous Speech

These easily printable maps are easy to use. There are several themes to choose from. Each is accompanied by a list of instructions. Students can read them or listen as teachers read them aloud.

Learn More: Making Learning Fun

11. Star Wars Directions Game 

Fun games, like this Star Wars following directions game, are great for helping students practice how to properly follow directions. This interactive game allows students to work within groups and collaborate and interact with others.

Learn More: Teach This

Glyphs are a fantastic resource for upper elementary and middle school students who need to practice following directions. Students will use white drawing paper to draw a picture, based on listening to directions and using what applies to them individually.

Learn More: Teach With Me

These before and after statements are great for older kids. This is a way to let students interact in groups and follow directions. On slips of paper, you will write in events and use them to complete this activity.

Learn More: Miss Barrett Speech Language

14. Listening Skills Holiday Sheet

These printable worksheets will be helpful for children with language skills needing improvement or for students to practice following directions. They are holiday themed and ideal for key listening skills and multi-step directions.

Learn More: Resources From Rachel

This fun quiz-type sheet is helpful in assessing how well students follow directions. This is a great way to see if they can follow targeted directions and if not, where the breakdown occurs so you will know what to work on.

Learn More: The Worksheets

This directions sheet is a breakdown of 4-step directions. Each section requires students to look ahead to see what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. They are working to follow directions in each step.

Learn More: The Worksheets

17. Relay Races

Relay races get students up and moving. Teachers can customize this activity to get students to practice following directions in a nontraditional way. Students can follow directions and work with their teams to see who can win each challenge.

Learn More: Mr Physed

This following directions activity is good for working on following directions and literal directions. Students can cut and place items in places, dependent on prepositional directions. This is especially good for bilingual students.

Learn More: The Worksheets

Constructing paper airplanes is fun and ideal for practicing following directions. Let students use a template and guide for directions or orally tell them what to do. Either way, they will get good practice and finish with a nice end result.

Learn More: Speech Snacks

7 Core Following Directions Activities for Kids That'll Improve Listening

Inside: Quick and easy following directions activities for kids that will help them practice self-control, emotional regulation and improve listening skills.

There was a joke traveling around years ago from Carrie On Y’all that said, “Maybe if I start yelling ‘Get your shoes on!’ the night before, we could get to school on time the next day.”

Honestly, the struggle is real.

Kids need A LOT of practice to learn basic life skills.

Following directions activities can support better listening skills in your child.

Teaching kids to follow directions isn’t as simple as doing a listening activity for kids, watching fairy dust shower from above, and seeing your kids transform into magical listeners.

Several years ago I was getting ready to take my son to school. He insisted—like life or death insisted—that he needed to wear his green shoes.

So I helped him find his green shoes, laid them out on the floor, and then realized I made a horrible mistake.

He shook his head and said, “No green shoes, mom. Nooo!”

In exactly two minutes, the green shoes went from being my complaining child’s most prized possession to the most horrible and disgusting shoes one could don.

Related Posts:

• 2 year old not listening? Try this remarkable tip.
• 10 Totally Awesome Tricks for Independent Kids 

Teaching kids to follow directions – let’s simplify.

1. Connection first. Attention follows.

A few brief moments using SAY WHAT YOU SEE®, where you describe what your child is thinking, doing, feeling or saying, makes a big difference. This is the building block of connection, and when kids feel connected to you, they are for more likely to cooperate.

It might sound something like, “You’re drawing a picture with big green squares and red lines.”

No brainer, right? And yet, I still find myself talking to my kids without taking a brief moment for connection.

Sharing a set of instructions before you briefly connect with your child is like speaking foreign language. It can fall flat.

I know I have my child’s full attention when I have two things:

• Eye contact
• Eyes level (get down to the child’s level).

2. Be short and specific.

Kids tend to hear a lot of conversational white noise when adults are speaking to them. Say exactly what needs to be said for your child to follow your directions. Trim everything else out.

Instead of… “Hurry up. We gotta get out the door for this appointment. Get your coat lets go.”

Try… “Coat please.” Or, “You’re missing a coat.”

3. Use “wait time.”

This is a great strategy that I learned from a teacher. After giving a set of instructions to your kids, pause for 3-7 seconds to allow their brain to process and apply the information. Research shows kids are more likely to follow directions if you give them “wait time” or a hearty pause.

As adults, we are used to processing information much quicker, but kids…they take time.

Think of it this way: Keeping realistic expectations and waiting is the difference between you giving up and throwing your tea in the air vs. you calmly taking a sip of your tea while you employ “wait time.”

4. Unless you are offering a choice, don’t ask.

If your directions aren’t up for negotiation, keep that door firmly closed. Offering choices is a fabulous way to help end power struggles and enjoy a happier home.

But…everything in life is not always a choice. If you can’t offer a choice within a parental boundary you feel good about, give instructions as a statement, rather than a question.

Instead of… “Can you pick up your toys?”

Try… “I see toys on the floor and it’s time to leave.”

Or if you’d like to offer a choice, you can say something like, “I see blocks and dolls. Show me which one you want to put away first.”

5. Practice using following directions activities.

In order to build great listening skills, kids need a lot of practice…A LOT.

Which makes sense! I think we all can relate to needing a lot of practice before we can get good at anything. I could tell you a few stories about burnt dinner rolls for the past five years, but that’s a story for another day 🙂

Related:

• 50+ Best Simple Games for 2 Year Olds and Up
• The Ultimate List of Board Games for 2 Year Olds

7 core following directions activities for kids.

There are several good ‘ole fashioned standby games to play with kids to help them 1) Listen and hear what you are instructing and 2) Practice following the directions you shared.

1. Simon Says

One person is Simon or Elmo or Dora or Spiderman or Teacher or Whoever, and this person is the “leader.” Simon gives a set of instructions and everyone else follows. The person who doesn’t follow the instructions is “out.” And the person who follows the instructions throughout the game, wins Simon Says.

2. Red Light, Green Light.

One person is the leader who calls out “Red Light” or “Green Light.” When the leader calls out “Red Light,” everyone stops. When the leader calls out “Green Light,” everyone goes. Anyone who doesn’t stop or freeze during “Red Light” is out.

3. Follow the Leader.

Take a walk around your house or outside and whatever you (or the leader) does, everyone else must follow. This is a great game to allow your child to be the leader and have you follow your child. It’s a perfect opportunity to model following directions for your child!

4. Map Game

Try this map game and help your kids work their way through the grid following the directions given. Practice counting and using the words left, right, forward, and backward.

5. Two-step direction games.

Do one of these 2-step direction games with your kids. This is perfect for preschoolers and above! Have your kids follow some of the 2-step directions throughout the day (e.g. Shake your head “yes” and then quack like a duck.) Brilliant!

6. Lego® Game

If you have kids who are old enough to play a board game, try this Lego Game to help your kids practice reading directions and following them.

7. Visual direction activities.

With kids, visual directions are so important! You can make life simpler and fun using visual directions for your kids, such as a printable daily schedule for kids.

• Bedtime routine cards
• Morning routine cards
• Mealtime routine cards

Using routines is a great way to support cooperation and help your kids learn to follow directions.

They are also energy saving, AND a great way to avoid yelling “Green shoes!” ten times every morning or “Eat your dinner!” six times every evening.

Grab your FREE Following Directions Checklist Here!

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Instructions for use instructions - Psychologos

"Major Payne" movie

Instructions - a short and clear list of actions required to achieve the result. Wider is the direction or order in which actions are taken to get a result. The instructions indicate what you should receive and what actions to take to achieve this.

If I give you instructions for making coffee, it will contain an exact statement of the processes or sequence of actions necessary to achieve the desired result. The instruction can be in the form of short sentences, for example: “Insert the filter into the coffee maker”, “Pour ground coffee into the filter”, “Pour water into the coffee maker tank”, “Press the Start button”. nine0003

If the order says WHAT is to be done, then the instruction is HOW it is done. The clearer the instruction, the more likely it is that what is required will be done. The more vague the instruction, the more it implies “And so everything is clear”, the more likely it will be executed crookedly. Instructions must be precise.

Instruction - a form of address in a business format. Speaking with instructions all the time in your personal life is dry, not cordial, but speaking sincerely without clear instructions means running into misunderstandings. nine0003

When you want to share information with an intelligent and businesslike person, this is not always adequate; so that people understand you better, often formulate your desires as precise instructions: what do you want from a person. Let these be soft requests in form, but in fact, clear instructions.

Instructions in parent-child relationships KOZLOVA

The relationship between parents and children at the same time cannot be reduced to instructions, and without instructions it is impossible. Instructions are one of the natural and necessary elements in communication between parents and children. Simple and clear instructions are needed in a relationship with a small child who does not understand complex things and ornate appeals; clear instructions will be very useful when a child with your help masters any new business or at least for the first time does a difficult exercise from homework; firm instructions are given by the parents to the child when the child tries to disobey the parents while they address him in a gentle way. nine0003

Briefing in the work of a leader

Briefing is a natural moment in the work of any leader. As a rule, instructions are needed in cases where

• the employee is not familiar with the situation where he needs to act,
• the employee is not disposed to think and understand independently,
• The cost of the error is too high and it is necessary to guarantee the execution as accurately as possible.

Briefing is usually used in the process of training a beginner and gradually, as the employee gains experience, it is replaced by other forms of interaction where the employee enjoys greater independence and freedom. nine0003

However, in some organizations, instructions and commands are almost the only way to manage employees. Such an approach, as a principle of leadership, is based on the following assumptions:

• People do not want to work and will not want to. They must be forced to work.
• The best employee is the one who does not think, but does what the leader says. The task of the leader is to create competent, that is, clear, detailed and intelligible instructions.
nine0044 People do not want to change and will not want to. The task of the leader is to find the right person in the right place and fix him there.

Such an approach sometimes indicates the incompetence of the leader, his inability to find an approach to people, and sometimes - the realism and experience of the leader, who is forced to work with people who are unmotivated and of low culture (type - Performers). How to select employees if the company operates in this mode? In accordance with the developments of T.V. Gagina, all employees are divided into four types:

• UB - smart and poor,
• TF - hardworking farmers,
• SB - law enforcement officers,
• HP - cunning rogues.

See Imagination-Limits Classification for more details

Instructions in the work of a trainer

The ability to give clear instructions is one of the most important components of a trainer's work. See Instructions in the work of the trainer

Features of the action according to the speech instruction

REINWALD N. I. nine0003

Features of the action according to the speech instruction

1. Research problem

by verbal instruction. The solution of this problem has an essential theoretical meaning, since in performing actions according to instructions, i.e., according to verbal instructions from others (as well as performing actions on self-instruction), manifests one of the fundamental differences between human behavior and animal behavior. On the other hand, bearing in mind that a significant part of pedagogical impacts on children is made in the form of verbal instructions, the study features of action according to instructions is also important for practice education. From the point of view of the physiological teachings of I.P. Pavlova action by instruction is a single complex reflex, an integral act of interaction person with the environment. From this point of view, the approach to studying the action of instructions should consist primarily in the study of the features of its stimulation and reinforcement, as those parts of the reflex that are available to the objective registration. This way of posing the question is also justified by the fact that knowledge of the patterns of evoking and reinforcing actions according to instructions (also as well as other forms of human behavior) leads to the scientific armament of practice education. nine0003

In psychology, the study of action according to verbal instructions was devoted a small number of works (N.G. Morozova and others). Only in recent years, after joint session of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, dedicated to the problems of physiological teachings of academician I.P. Pavlova (1950) attention to this problem, especially in connection with the problem of the interaction of two signaling systems, has increased dramatically. In a number of works (T.V. Endovitskaya, N.P. Paramonova, as well as N.V. Kornienko, S.G. Barkhatova, N.M. Trunova, M.B. Mikhalevskaya, M.S. Shekhter, N.I. Nepomnyashchaya, L.S. Tsvetkova etc.) the following issues were covered: the question of the stages of formation of action in response to a detailed speech instruction, the role of the delay of the instruction, the question of the effectiveness of various instructions (verbal, verbal in combination with display and the so-called instruction by display) in the development of motor skill. Second signal and primary signal regulation of action in conditions of a conflicting relationship between instructions and direct stimuli and a number of other questions. However, with a wide coverage of various features of the action according to the instructions, some issues important for characteristics of stimulation and its reinforcement, which were the subject of this research. nine0003

speech instruction

doubling of external stimuli due to the presence, along with direct irritants, also commands, orders, as incentives for this action. A.G. Ivanov-Smolensky points to the resulting originality of the connections formed through speech instruction, which consists in their occurrence "from a place", without immediately preceding their development, i.e., by way of a “sudden closures". Indeed, the central feature of the action on speech instruction lies in the fact that a certain new complex of stimuli (direct and verbal) with which the executor of the instruction dealt in past experience in other combinations, is associated with a complex of motor reactions, also, although carried out by him in his past experience, but in connection with other irritants. nine0003

As noted, previous studies have examined primarily the effect that variation has on the performance of an action instructions. At the same time, the role of the organization of visual material perceived by the child - those specific objects with which he to act.

The experiments that constituted the first part of the study were devoted to clarifying this question. author of the experimental study. 6 series of experiments were carried out with 120 children aged 2 years. 6 m. to 4 l. 6 m. Three series (60 experiments) amounted to main series, three - control. In each series, experiments were carried out with 20 children. In all series, the children were given an equal complexity speech task. an instruction that required a positive on one signal, and on the other inhibitory motor reaction, for example, “turn the pictures (on the front side), do not turn the mugs. (Mugs and other items were put forward behind the screen 8-10 times during one experiment). It was traced as the instruction is carried out in relation to equal and unequal in terms of "attractiveness" items. nine0003

"Attractive" objects we call strong positive stimuli; "unattractive", "unattractive" - ​​indifferent for the child irritants. About the strength of stimuli, that is, about one level or another the attractiveness of the corresponding objects for the child, we judged by the greater or lesser motor activity caused by them; we took into account that stimuli approximately equal in physical strength (for example, a circle and a picture equal brightness and magnitude) can be very different in their signal value in child's activities due to their connections in past experience. nine0003

About the degree of accessibility for a child of this age of instructions for in relation to various visual material, we judged by how much subjects from each age group performed the task correctly.

The first series of experiments was carried out to test the following assumptions: if a child of three or four years is not able to perform an instruction that requires a differentiated response to two different signals, for example: “turn red circles, do not turn green circles”, then this does not mean that he is generally unable to "from the spot" to perform a similar complexity of instructions. It could be assumed that if you pick up stimuli in such a way that the object with which you want to perform an action is as attractive as possible, that is, it would be a strong positive stimulus, and the object to which the braking reaction is required - “do not turn over”, would be a little attractive, indifferent, then the child will be able to perform without pre-training instruction given to him. nine0003

flat folding houses in bright colors, green and red circles, and in as the least attractive material - newsprint squares, pasted on cardboard. First of all, experiments were carried out with objects equal to by attractiveness. The subjects were asked to turn over the red circles, and green do not turn over.

After these initial experiments, the children were asked to follow the same instruction in relation to stimuli that are sharply unequal in strength (“attractiveness”), and precisely in relation, on the one hand, to parts of a folding house, and on the other - newspaper squares. Children were required to turn parts of the house over (on front side), and do not turn the newspaper over. nine0003

In order to increase the degree of "attractiveness" as much as possible parts of the house, the experimenter, before giving the children this task, read to them the fairy tale "The Fox and the Hare" and gave the house "in which the fox lived" for folding. Another house, parts of which had to be turned over, appeared as a “bunny house”. This house was also given in disassembled form. The child was told that the house can add up after experience.

In these experiments, three-year-olds show a significant increase the efficiency of the instruction execution in comparison with the initial experiments. At that while the instructions in the initial experiments were carried out by only three subjects, three years, instructions in subsequent experiments are carried out by nine subjects out of ten three-year-olds, four-year-olds do it all. nine0003

On the contrary, in the experiments carried out according to the "conflict" method, in which it was proposed “Turn newspaper squares, but do not turn houses”, from seven children four-year-olds who completed the task in circles, three could not execute the instruction that conflicted with the action directly attractive stimuli.

In the course of this series of experiments, another fact was discovered. After the child followed the instructions with parts of the house and squares, i.e. in lightweight conditions, he performs it in many cases and with a secondary final mug test. This fact was especially pronounced in three-year-old children, in which the combination of the word with the stimulating effect of direct stimuli leads to a fracture in relation to the instruction. So, if in In the initial test for mugs, only three three-year-olds completed the instructions, then in In the final trial, this instruction was already followed by seven out of ten subjects. nine0003

Control series conducted to determine the role of training in this shift, showed that a simple repetition of experiments gives significantly smaller positive results.

Thus, the experiments of the 1st series confirmed what was done at the beginning assumption, showing that in those cases where the instruction as a stimulus acts in the same direction as direct stimuli that motivate child to play activities, the effectiveness of the task in young children increases sharply. Obviously, this can be attributed to the fact that instructions that required a positive action - turning over parts of the house on the front side, increased due to the action of direct stimuli. On the other hand, the execution of the second part of the instruction, i.e., the implementation inhibitory reaction - “do not turn newspaper squares over”, it was made easier the indifferent character of the stimuli themselves - newspaper squares. nine0003

Experiments have shown that most children do not follow instructions in towards indifferent stimuli. It could be assumed that approximately the same picture will be given by the performance of tasks by children in relation to attractive, but also equal in terms of attractiveness of objects. To check, Is the instruction really just as difficult to carry out for the subjects with equal attractiveness of stimuli, as well as with their equal unattractiveness, were two series of control experiments were carried out. In one of them, the child was offered circles, squares and triangles in red and green (indifferent irritants). The subjects were asked to turn the red figures over, and green do not turn over. In another series of control experiments, the child presented planar, cut out of cardboard, figures depicting cars, planes, etc. All these figures were pasted over with paper of red and green color and, when presented to children, they were called an experimenter "toys". The child had to turn over the red "toys", but not the green ones. turn over. For younger children, the performance of both tasks presented the same difficulty. In both cases, the task was performed from the first times with only two children out of ten. Only exercise was somewhat higher in the series with geometric figures. In the older subgroup the results of the series with "toys" are slightly lower (four subjects completed ten) than with geometric figures (six out of ten children). nine0003

Thus, with equal attractiveness and equal unattractiveness stimuli, the implementation of instructions in relation to them presents for children about the same difficulty.

One of the tasks set by the results of the first series of experiments for further research was to find out what exactly led to the observed sharp increase in the effect when executing the instruction - change in the material with which the child acted, or change in the situation - the introduction of a fairy tale and, as it were, the “playing” of the material given by the child. To To resolve this issue, the 2nd series of experiments was carried out. nine0003

In the 2nd series, instructions were first given in relation to red and green circles (same as in the first series). Red circles had to be turned over, green do not turn over. Then the child was asked to perform the same task with parts of the "bunny house" (i.e., the same house with which experiments were carried out in the first series) and newspaper squares. Only after that the fairy tale was read to the children about a hare and a fox and was given for folding, as in the first series, "the house of the fox." Then the child was again offered parts of the "bunny house" and a newspaper. AT the conclusion was checked again, how the subjects carried out the instruction on mugs. nine0003

Experiments with this (modified) scheme have shown that increasing efficiency of instruction execution is achieved precisely through the introduction of a game situations by reading the story. This is evident from the fact that before reading the fairy tale instructions in relation to the mugs, as well as parts of the house and the newspaper, are carried out only four children out of ten (in the younger subgroup). At the same time after reading fairy tales, the instruction “to turn over the house, not to turn over the newspaper” is already fulfilling the vast majority of the subjects - eight people out of ten. Another picture is observed in the implementation of the “conflict” instruction: “turn over the newspaper, house Do not turn". Before reading the fairy tale, this instruction is carried out by two subjects out of ten, and after - just one child out of ten. to the same conclusions give the data obtained on the subjects of the senior subgroup. nine0003

Thus, the instruction is easier for children to follow when it acts in the same direction as immediate stimuli, in some cases encouraging to play actions, in others not stimulating actions child. In this case, the main reason for facilitating the execution of instructions is not external difference between newspaper squares and parts of a folding house, pasted over with colored paper, and the creation of a game situation

, the necessary components of which are fox houses and hare (in this case, folding). The same reason s conflict the task “to turn over a newspaper, not to turn over a house” makes it difficult to complete instructions. nine0003

However, in the first two series of experiments, as we have seen, stimuli which a positive motor reaction of the subjects should be obtained, and those stimuli that should cause an inhibitory reaction are placed in unequal position. In relation to one (parts of the house), a large work (reading a fairy tale, folding a “fox house”, a promise to give an opportunity fold the "bunny house", etc. ). In relation to other objects (squares from newspapers) such work was not carried out.

Therefore, in the 3rd series of experiments, the methodology was changed in such a way that both objects - "attractive" and "unattractive", "unattractive" were in exactly the same position. In this series, the child was presented one after the other three tasks. According to the first initial task, the child should was to turn over the squares of gray cardboard presented to him, and the mugs of do not turn over the same cardboard. The second task also presented such the same squares and circles, but this time the squares on the front side (on which it was required to turn them over) were pasted interesting for the child color pictures. The circles on the other side still had nothing. The child was given the task “to turn the pictures over, not to turn the mugs over”. The third task was "conflict". It required, on the contrary, mugs flip, but do not flip the pictures. With this type of experiment the results could be entirely attributed to the action of one or another selection irritants. nine0003

The results of experiments with three-year-old children showed the following. First task related to equally indifferent stimuli for the child (to circles and squares made of gray cardboard) is performed only by two children of a three-year-old age out of ten. At the same time, the 2nd task is performed by nine children from ten. In the third, "conflict" task, on the contrary, only two children from ten complete the task.

In the senior subgroup, the first task with indifferent stimuli is gray circles and squares - performed by six subjects out of ten. Second the task “turn pictures over, do not turn circles” is performed by all children. In the third task, differentiation again disappeared in four subjects. nine0003

So, the results of the third series of experiments showed that the positive shift in instruction execution, which was obtained in the 1st and 2nd series due to changes in the material and the introduction of a game situation, can be obtained by appropriate selection of stimuli and without the use of any additional techniques for "beating" the material by children.

Thus, in the experiments it turned out that at a given level of child development its ability to carry out instructions of varying complexity is by no means represents a constant value. The level of the child's ability in this respect fluctuates very significantly. Results of the 1st and 2nd series of experiments showed that even rather large differences in shape and color of stimuli did not change the results of the experiments compared with the results of the original experiments by indifferent stimuli, in which most of the children do not perform instructions. nine0003

The introduction of game situation by reading a fairy tale, etc. Irritants associated with the game situation (parts of the house), become strong positive for the child stimuli that stimulate action with them. This contributes to the fulfillment instructions for children, in which you need to turn it over to the front side these attractive objects and, conversely, interferes with the implementation of instructions "conflict", according to which the child must act with an indifferent subject, but with an attractive one does not act. nine0003

Experiments of the third series showed that similar results take place in in cases where the objects presented to the child are attractive for him in connection with any of their quality (for example, pictures) without additional intervention by the experimenter. And here's the reinforcement of the instruction the stimulating effect of attractive objects leads to the fulfillment of it. In those cases where the requirements of the instruction run counter to them, it is in many cases is not performed by children.

It should be noted that at the age of three or four years, when only such actions are formed according to the instructions, failure of the children to follow the instructions is observed not only in the case of a “conflict” relationship between instruction and action immediate stimuli. We see that children of this age with difficulty execute an instruction when they are required to perform two different actions in relation to equal in attractiveness or equally indifferent objects, i. e. when the impact of the instruction does not cope with exposure to direct stimuli. nine0003

This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that in the early stages of development second-signal regulation of activity a weak focus of excitation created verbal instruction, not receiving additional motivation from external direct stimuli (not to mention cases of the opposite actions of instructions and immediate stimuli), cannot become dominant in the activities of the child and determine the implementation of the action in accordance with instructions.

The basis of the same failure to follow the instructions (in both of the above cases), apparently, there is an insufficient formation in the majority of three- four-year-old children of the regulation of complex activities by stimuli of the second signal system. With the strengthening of the regulation of activity from the second signal systems in older children, this phenomenon is known to disappear. nine0003

Accounting for these factors is of significant methodological importance, since failure to take into account the ratio of the strength of stimuli stimulating a given action can lead to inappropriate conclusions.

3. Reinforcing action on speech instruction

Analysis of the main features of actions performed by speech instructions also requires clarification of the originality of the reinforcement of these actions.

The question about the features of reinforcing the action according to the instruction appeared before the whole subject of theoretical analysis. nine0003

In this case, the author relied on the classification of different types of reinforcement, used in the experiments of I.P. Pavlov and his staff. As can be seen from these experiments, reinforcements can be unconditional (this includes both complete, quenching the focus of excitation, for example, food reinforcements, leading to cessation of relevant activities, and partial reinforcements, stimulating further activity) and conditional, including animals, reinforcements can be distinguished during the development of conditioned reflexes of the 2nd order on a strong conditioned reflex and reinforcement of individual stages, links complex activities that are necessary to achieve the final, quenching focus of excitation, reinforcement. nine0003

Since unconditional full reinforcements are, on the one hand, partial and conditional, on the other hand, play a different role in the regulation of activity - some quench, stop it, while others stimulate, leading to the cessation of only one link of activity, then, of course, it is necessary to distinguish them from each other as in practical analysis, and terminologically.

In humans, conditioned reinforcers acquire a special role. Thesis a special analysis is given of the so-called "speech reinforcement" inherent in only to a person. This analysis leads to a direct answer to the question of features of reinforcing actions according to verbal instructions. The term "verbal reinforcement” was introduced by A.G. Ivanov-Smolensky and is widely used in the Soviet physiological and psychological literature. However, conditional speech reinforcement they call either an order, a command, for example, “press”, etc., then execution of these orders. Employees of A.G. Ivanov-Smolensky, working on method of "speech reinforcement", indicate how to verbal reinforcement then on order, command to take action, then to the assessment of “correct”, “well done”, etc. e. In addition, the order “press” is called either to the stimuli of the action, or to its reinforcements. As a result, ambiguity is created in very significant issues. First, on the question of what a speech command is - an irritant, causing a reaction or reinforcing an action, and how correctly to call command, i.e., a brief, undelayed instruction by reinforcements. Second, don't it is clear on what basis "verbal reinforcement" is equated to a command (or, more correctly, to its execution), then to the experimenter's evaluation of actions subject. At first glance, the above interpretation of verbal reinforcement (i.e., e. naming the command “press”, etc., either as a stimulus for action, or as its reinforcement) coincides with the usual interpretation of reinforcement. Indeed, in the scheme the formation of a new conditioned reflex on the so-called "speech reinforcement”, the verbal order “press” takes the same place as in the experiments Pavlova was occupied with meat or other food, called food reinforcement. However, upon closer examination, it turns out that I.P. Pavlov in the concept of reinforcement invests as being attached to a conditioned stimulus unconditioned reflex (food) in its entirety, and only the attached unconditioned reflex itself irritant (food). This is justified by the fact that the meat is actually first is an irritant of the reflex and only when eaten - its reinforcement. The speech command is always only a stimulus of the reflex, and reinforcement, in in this case - conditional, is the execution of the order, i.e. achievement compliance of the performed action with the requirement of the instruction. At the same time, it should note that in all conditioned reactions, the stimuli that cause the action, and reinforcements are different agents. nine0003

So, it is necessary to state the need for a constant distinction between the order, causing the corresponding action (“press”, etc.) as an irritant of the action according to a verbal instruction and the execution of an order as a conditional reinforcement of this action, which can be called "executive" reinforcement.

The second question, as mentioned, arises in connection with the analysis of the concept "speech reinforcement", due to the fact that in the general concept of speech reinforcement, such an important type of reinforcement for a person as evaluation (“good”, “correct”, etc.). However, some researchers include command and evaluation into verbal reinforcement, others only command, order and, finally, the third is only an estimate. This cannot be considered correct, since the achievement positive social assessments is the strongest for a person reinforcement, which often surpasses unconditional reinforcements in strength; on the contrary, disapproval of certain actions on the part of other people acts as the strongest negative reinforcement. This is one of the new, specifically human forms of regulation of behavior. nine0003

The task is to show that reinforcement by evaluation is an independent type reinforcement and what to identify it with the "executive" reinforcement of the action according to the instructions illegally and stood in front of the two main and one control series of experiments. 10 children took part in each of these series. three and four years of age. In the number of subjects in these series only those children who followed the first instruction incorrectly were included.

In the first series of experiments, the reinforcing role of evaluation in execution of instructions on indifferent material (as shown by previous experiments) for the child - red and green mugs made of cardboard. After in the initial experiments, the child incorrectly followed the instruction “red circles turn over, do not turn the green ones, ”he was given exactly the same instruction, but with the addition that if the child tries and does it right, then he “will do well”, the experimenter will tell the teacher (or mother, or guys) that he is big and knows how to play correctly, etc. If and after this task was not performed, the instruction was repeated with similar adding more, up to four times in total. If the action was performed correctly, the experimenter judged it accordingly. nine0003

The results of the first series of experiments showed that eight subjects three-year-olds out of ten completed the task correctly after the first repetition of instructions with evaluation. One student completed the task correctly only on the third repetition of the instruction with evaluation, one did not complete it at all. Of the ten subjects of the older subgroup, after the first repetition of the instruction with evaluation, it was performed correctly by nine out of ten children. One test subject completed the task on the second iteration. Thus, in both subgroups The introduction of assessment dramatically changed the picture of how children performed tasks. nine0003

To set the role of training in this shift, independent of the inclusion evaluation, a control series of experiments was carried out. Children four times in a row the same task was given: “turn over the red circles, do not green turn over." The results of this series show that a sharp increase cases of completing tasks in the first series, when you turn on the assessment, you can only partly attributed to simple repetition of experiments. by the subjects was checked conflict task: “turn the circles, do not turn the pictures”. The conflicting instruction with the addition of an assessment was presented to the child four times. nine0003

The results of this series of experiments are very different from the results of the experiments first series. In the younger subgroup, after the first repetition of the conflict the task was completed by only one of the ten subjects. More one subject completed the task after the second repetition of the instruction with evaluation. After the third repetition, the task is performed by three children and, finally, five subjects do not perform a conflict task even with four repetitions evaluation instructions.

The subjects of the older subgroup gave higher results, as did was to be expected. Of the ten subjects, five completed the task after the first repetition of the instruction with evaluation. One subject completed the task after second, one after the third and two only on the fourth repetition. So Thus, children of the older subgroup also have a noticeable difference in the action assessments as reinforcements (in the direction of decrease) in the task of conflict, according to compared with the task on indifferent stimuli. nine0003

Although the above series of experiments represent only first attempt at "investigating the impact on execution of instruction evaluation as reinforcements, however, they still show that the evaluation is a special type of reinforcement that has independent significance and plays a large role role in regulating children's activities even at an early age and that reinforcement assessment dramatically improves the performance of simple tasks by children. Except In addition, the experiments carried out showed the relative strength of the approximate reinforcement and reinforcement evaluation. It turned out that in younger children the score was as reinforcement is inferior in strength to tentative reinforcement. However, in the older subgroup, there is a significant increase in the reinforcing power of the assessment, which here it successfully competes with the orienting reinforcement - viewing color pictures. nine0003

Finally, summarizing the results of the study of the reinforcement of action according to the instruction, it is necessary to note its complex composition. Although, due to the presence of a conditional "executive" reinforcement action according to the instructions should not every time reinforced unconditionally, however, if it is not systematically be accompanied by some kind of unconditional reinforcement (in our experiments - indicative) , then the conditional reinforcement loses its power. However, within certain limits the function of unconditional reinforcement can be performed by such reinforcements as evaluation reinforcement. nine0003

4. Conclusion

1. As a result of the analysis of the stimulation of the action according to the instruction, found that the execution or non-execution of the same instruction subjects to a large extent depends on one or another organization of visual material. In the experiments, the children were offered objects that were attractive or, at the expense of their connection with the game situation (parts of the house), or due to their inherent quality (pictures) and indifferent objects (geometric figures). Study showed, firstly, that most of the children from 2 years. 6 m. to 4 l. 6 m. not executes an instruction that requires different actions with two equal attractiveness of objects. Further it turned out that those subjects who did not could correctly execute an instruction requiring an action on one of equally attractive (or unattractive) objects, and not with another act, easily followed a similar instruction, if required act only with attractive objects and not act with indifferent items. However, after following the instructions in these facilitated conditions, instructions for stimuli equal to attractiveness, performed by a much larger number of subjects. nine0003

On the contrary, many of the subjects who correctly followed the instructions for in relation to equally attractive or unattractive objects, did not fulfill the same instruction in conditions where it was required to perform an action with an unattractive object, but not to act with an attractive object.

Experimental data suggest that a sharp shift towards Improving the results of the implementation of instructions by children is achieved through the formation of a certain dominant in the activities of children, as a result coincidence of the requirements of the instruction with the action corresponding to this dominant immediate stimuli. Divergence of the stimulatory action of instructions and the actions of immediate stimuli (leading to the creation of a dominant in activities of the subjects) makes it very difficult for children to complete the task. nine0003

This indicates the need to take into account the relative strength of direct and verbal stimuli when establishing the degree of formation in children second-signal regulation of the action, which manifests itself in this case in their performance of instructions that require a differentiated response to two similar irritant.

2. Reinforcement of action according to instructions is characterized by a complex composition. As a permanent, obligatory component, it includes a special conditional reinforcement is the achievement of a correspondence between the performed action and instructions requirements. Although not every time, but still the action according to the instructions must be accompanied by unconditional reinforcement (or a role-playing unconditional, such as reinforcement by evaluation), otherwise this instruction loses its stimulating value, and the corresponding conditioned reinforcer its reinforcing power. nine0003

The experimental part of the reinforcement chapter shows that reinforcement by evaluation is an independent type of reinforcement, acquiring more and more strength in the course of the development of the child, and that therefore the inclusion it into the general rubric of the so-called "verbal reinforcement", along with the command "press", etc. is incorrect.

3. On the example of the action according to the instructions, a feature of the type is very clearly visible interaction with the outside world, characteristic of a person. Can suggest that the mechanism of action according to instruction is the main mechanism organization of joint actions of people and that its presence, in turn, leads to the emergence of a number of other "extremely surplus" changes in the reflex human activity, to the complication of forms of self-regulation. So, for example, important factor regulating the life of a person in society is the presence of social (ethical, etc.) norms of behavior.

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