Understanding Instructions

Understanding instructions can be challenging but to be successful in school, you obviously need to follow and carry out instructions on a daily basis. Sometimes knowing precisely what a teacher wants can be confusing. Check out these top tips to help you dissect the information ...

Instructions are given in different ways:

Verbal

Written

visual

First, read, listen or look at the instructions carefully. If you misunderstand or misinterpret the question, your entire response may miss the mark. Identify what the instruction requires you to do. If you are asked to list, describe, explain, summarise, classify, apply, illustrate, use, calculate, sketch or perform an operation, you are expected to apply particular knowledge that you have acquired. If you are asked to analyse, compare, contrast, evaluate, predict, determine cause and effect, synthesise or evaluate, you are expected to select and distil what you have learned.

Understanding what to do ...

Analyse: Consider the topic or event in detail, examining any relationships and writing critically about it.

Assess: Weigh up how good or bad something is.

Calculate: Work out the precise answer.

Classify: Sort information logically, arranging it into categories, ranks or sequences.

Compare: Consider two situations and give the similarities and differences.

Construct: Draw a graph or make a table.

Define: Give the meaning of a word or idea.

Describe: Write a detailed picture of a given situation.

Discuss: Build up an argument about an issue to present more than one side of the issue. Give arguments for and against, using examples and expressing opinions about the merits of each side.

Distinguish between: Define the two (or more) terms with the point of reference being clearly identified.

Estimate: Using the information available, make an informed prediction.

Evaluate: Weigh up the evidence, deciding what is convincing and what is unconvincing.

Examine: Look at the topic very carefully and question it.

Explain: Give reasons why.

Identify: Recognise one or more component parts.

Outline: Provide a brief summary of the major aspects.

To what extent: Give a judgement after weighing up the viewpoints.

What: Give reasons for the existence of something.

Once you have understood the question, act upon it straight away!

Doing things straight away helps you to appear reliable and allows you to manage your workload. If you can't carry out the instruction right away, write it down in your planner and take a note of the deadline. Then do it at your earliest convenience.