I am beyond frustrated when it comes to my 2nd grader. My daughter does not follow directions on the papers?

Question

she completes at school. She get half wrong on EVERY paper, because she doesn't complete the second set of directions. I have told her repeatedly to read the directions and number them, so she knows what to do. Everytime I get her papers home she doesn't do what she was told to do. I have talked calmly, yelled, taken away desserts, toys, tv, money etc. The teachers (I am now seeing what a tutor thinks) both agree she is more than capable of completing the work properly. She is now only allowed to do homework, eat dinner, do flashcards and go to bed early. Anyone have any suggestions for me. I am so angry I am ready to spit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

Answer 1

2nd grade....2nd grade and you are having a WAR with your child and making a HUGE production about this.  Have you considered how this is affecting her self-esteem?  Are you results oriented?  Look, I'm only asking because you need to be careful of how your actions and demands get translated in her little brain and emotions.  She's going to interpret some of this in a very negative way....

Can she do a similar sheet at home without you showing her how to number the directions?  Perhaps it is time to get a professional evaluation done to make sure you aren't overlooking some sort of learning disorder or cause.

All I know is if my restrictions get that strict at home, my kids respond....last thing they want gone is their play time and down time...

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Before starting try getting her to read second set before first set.Not sure of her age but younger children have a short attention span. You are doing what I did but  also added a reward system . Set up a chart that she can see and add points when good ,deduct points when not so good, with a reward that you know she will want when a certain level reached.

Answer 3

I 100% agree with the other poster.  Kids that age are in a race to be done first, and NO ONE wants to be the last one because they feel stupid. I had the same problem when I was her age and for the same reason.  She could be rushing really fast to avoid this and miss half the directions!  Talk to her teacher about it if that is the case.

Answer 4

The good news is... she'll surely be an engineer, we hate instructions.

The bad news... she'll most surely do it the rest of her life.

Cheers

Answer 5

Sounds like she's rushing through just to be done with it.  It must be very stressful for you both.

Try this - give her a set amount of time to do her homeworkon her own (set a timer). Encourage her to use the whole time and let her know that you'll be coming back so the two of you can check it together.

When you come back, have her read the instruction, and show you what she did.    If she missed something, give her a minute to correct it on her own. Have her explain it TO YOU.Trust me, you learn more when you have to teach it to someone else.

Give her a small reward when she finishes (play time, free time, etc).

Slowly, she'll learn to read through everything, because she'll want it to be right the first time through.

Answer 6

Exactly how my son is he is having a hard time getting his stories done he will sit there and like daydream for 40 minutes and only write like 2-3 sentences while the rest or most of the class writes like 2 pages.  he is in first grade but still.

I would reward her for a good paper though.

Answer 7

How is her reading comprehension?  Can she read a page in a book and tell you what it was about?

If it is a problem, then the tutor can help correct it.

Another problem that is a bit harder to correct is racing.

2nd graders are notorious for trying to be the first, or trying not to be the last, to be done with their papers.  If she falls into either category, it will be up to the teacher as to how to deal with the problem.    Some teachers will collect papers at the end of the day, others will assign multiple assignments at once so that nobody is sure who is working on what.

Finally, I had a similar problem with my daughter.... and we resolved that she was so bored that she did not read the directions at all.   I was teaching her Geometry at home, and at school they were working on the times tables, so she didn't bother to read the directions, just put down answers.   We ended up sticking her 2 grades ahead in Math, and D's and F's turned into A's and the occasional B.

Answer 8

First, stop being angry - that doesn't help her and stresses you out.

You need to find some patience. What will help the most is you doing some practice with her - in doing things in steps. Give her one set of instructions, then two sets, then three -- and see at what type of level she trips up at. For example, have her go to her room, open her second draw and take out a pair of shorts, then close the bathroom door and come back to the kitchen.

Do some orally, then do some simple things on paper.

And, mom, spend the TIME going over homework with her - not to give her answers, but to guide her.

The teacher should also be able to give you specific ideas to help.

One idea is to have her explain to you - and then print out, directions on how to do something, like a list. For example, how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then the two of you make it according to her directions, and see what she is missing. That will help bring home the point.

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And just for fun, here is a great idea some of us teachers use with our students from time to time - READING DIRECTIONS WELL IS IMPORTANT

TEST: Following Directions

Do not mark on this paper until you have read it through to the end.

1. What is your name? __________________________

2. Which kind of school reward do you prefer: candy or pencil? ______________

3. What is your favorite color? ______________________

4. What color are your eyes? _______________________

5. Do you like to ride a bike? (yes or no) ________

6. What is your favorite meal of all time?

7. Do you have a pet? If so, what is its name? If not, would you like to have one?

8. What is your favorite part of school?

9. What is the best cafeteria food item here?

10. Do you daydream a lot when you should be working?

11. What part of the school day do you like least?

10. Now, go back to numbers 1 and 2, and answer them. Leave the rest of this paper blank. If you followed the directions, come to the front of the room and choose your reward. If you did not follow the directions, too bad. Next time, maybe you will.

(lol - gets them every time!!)

Answer 9

I think a test like what my teacher did for us in second grade is an order. My teacher made up a test of a bunch of math questions that got harder and harder. If we read the directions, they said to turn to write your name on the test, then turn straight to the last problem and do what it says. The last problem said don't do any problems, just turn the test in. It really helped identify who actually read the directions and might help her to see that she should be reading them.

Answer 10

i feel for you.  she isn't going to get w/ the program until she's d**n good and ready unfortunately.  instead of focusing on punishments...could you focus on "i'm going to do ________ special thing for/with you when you have a paper returned that has the instructions followed correctly."  Offer her reward for good papers.  my 5th grade daughter still does that.... i'm trying to focus more on praising her for what she does right.