Multi-step directions worksheets
Aligned with Common Core SL.2.2
Printable listening practice for 2nd grade: a direction words chart, listen-and-do picture sheets with two and three steps, tricky before and after directions, and a sheet where kids write the directions themselves.
The worksheets
- See it all
Direction Words Chart
The words used in directions on one page. Order words (first, next, then, last, before and after), mark words with a picture of each mark, and place words like above, below and between.
Listen and Do: 2 Steps
Six rows of pictures with a two-step direction for each row, like "Circle the cat, then cross out the bus." The directions are on a fold-back strip. Includes an answer key.
Listen and Do: 3 Steps
Five rows of pictures with three-step directions. Some directions say "the first picture" or "the animal" instead of a name, so kids have to think as they listen. Includes an answer key.
Before and After Directions
Five rows of tricky directions like "Before you circle the bus, cross out the cat." The numbers show which step your child did first. Includes an answer key.
Give the Directions
The marks are already done. Kids write the two-step direction that would make them, on big writing lines, using a word bank of order words and mark words. Includes an answer key.
Print the whole packet
One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).
For the parent or teacher
What it is
Following multi-step directions means listening to a whole direction, holding it in memory, and doing each step in the right order. In 2nd grade, kids are expected to follow directions with two or three steps and to understand order words like first, then, before and after. On these sheets, a grown-up reads each direction out loud from a strip at the bottom of the page. The child folds that strip back, so they have to listen instead of read. This builds listening comprehension (aligned with Common Core SL.2.2 and SL.2.3).
What comes next
Practice directions in everyday routines, like "Put your shoes by the door, then grab your backpack," or move on to retelling stories.
How to teach it
- Start with the direction words chart. Make sure your child knows what circle, cross out, underline and box mean before you start.
- Read each direction one time at a normal speed. Don't repeat it right away. Waiting helps your child learn to listen the first time.
- Ask your child to say the direction back before doing it. Saying it out loud helps them remember.
- Hold up one finger for each step as you read. This is a quiet reminder of how many things to do.
- Move from two steps to three steps, then to before and after directions.
Common mistakes
- Starting before the whole direction is finished. Teach "wait, listen, then go."
- Doing the right things in the wrong order. Before and after are the tricky ones. "Before you circle the bus, cross out the cat" means the cat comes first.
- Remembering only the last step. Have your child repeat the whole direction back.
- Giving too many hints. Let your child try first, then check the answer key together.