Begin driving in a large, level parking lot that is free of obstacles, the fair grounds or church lots work well. Discuss and practice smooth acceleration, proper speed, and smooth stops. Practice performing smooth stops first at low speeds (10 - 15 mph) then at slightly higher speeds. Use commentary driving by having the student verbalize their driving.
Visual guides to help judge the car’s distance from curbs, lines, other objects, and vehicles. Use the standard reference points from table below to have student discover their personal reference points in your vehicle. You can mark your dash with painters tape to use while driving. Seeing reference points from the passengers view also helps know where your driver is in relation to things. Have student position vehicle the required distance from a line or curb without going over for each vehicle position. Then secure the vehicle and get out to check for accurate positioning. Re-position if necessary.
Below is a sample practice route. This route offers different road types and opportunities for discussion about different situations. This route starts and stops at Philomath High School and is 43.4 miles, which should take about hour. Please feel free to adjust the route to fit your needs. You can also work with your student to develop your own drive route. Google Maps is a great tool to develop routes.