Teaching and tutoring
Simplify lesson instructions without changing the task
Simpler directions help more students start the task, but they must still ask for the same thinking. Break the original into short ordered steps, replace unneeded words, and keep the terms students must learn. Check that no step now tells students the answer.
A text to start with
Here are the original directions for [assignment]: [directions]. The learning goal is [goal]. Terms students must still use: [key terms]. Rewrite the directions as short numbered steps at about a [grade] reading level. Keep every required step and the same level of thinking. Do not hint at answers. List each key term with a short meaning and one example unrelated to the task.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Direction simplification sheet
Assignment: [ ] Learning goal: [ ] Original direction: [ ] Simplified step 1: [ ] Simplified step 2: [ ] Simplified step 3: [ ] Required step from the original that each one covers: [ ] Key term: [ ] Short meaning: [ ] Example not drawn from the task: [ ] Thinking verb in the original: [ ] Thinking verb in the rewrite: [ ] Student who read it back, and what they misread: [ ]
Check for lost steps and leaked answers
Lay the original and the rewrite side by side and match each requirement to a step. A skipped step, such as showing work or citing evidence, lowers the demand without anyone noticing. Check that examples for key terms use different content from the assignment, since an example drawn from it may give the answer away. Make sure verbs that signal the thinking, such as compare or justify, were not swapped for easier ones like list or tell. Read the steps in order and confirm each can be done before the next.
Ask another agent to check the result
Compare the original directions with the simplified ones. Identify any required step that was dropped and any verb that lowered the thinking demand. Check whether any step or example reveals the answer. Quote the exact words involved and propose a fix that keeps the task intact.
Try the new directions on a student
Ask one or two students to say in their own words what to do first, second and third. Where they misread a step, rewrite it. Decide whether the simplified version replaces the original or goes alongside it, and whether every student who wants it can get the same support. Keep the original directions on file so you can compare results later.