Clear Directions and Language-Support Pack

Classroom copy · 1 October 2026

Plan directions learners can follow and language supports matched to a specific barrier. State what learners will think and show, chunk the task into visible steps, clarify essential words, choose response routes that fit the target, and check both direction understanding and the task evidence separately.

Use the direction planner

Start with the task goal: what should learners think about or do, and what evidence would show it? Keep that thinking visible as you write the directions. Name the materials and starting point, give ordered actions with observable verbs, explain essential words before learners need them, and state where and how the response is finished.

Match each support to a specific barrier in this task. A vocabulary note, sentence frame, oral rehearsal, or chunked direction can make the task language easier to enter; it should not silently supply the answer or remove the reasoning the task is meant to show. State what remains constant. If an alternate response mode changes what the task measures, record that evidence limit and check the actual learning target and authorized plan.

Read the directions as a learner would encounter them. Show or point to the first place to begin, model the process without giving away an independent answer, and let learners identify the first step. That check shows whether they can locate or explain a direction; observe the task itself to see the target learning evidence.

For any field that needs more writing space, continue on a blank sheet labelled with the task name and field number; attach it behind the same planner. In the editable DOCX, insert additional response paragraphs as needed. Keep the task name with any separate pages.

Model directions · say, show, chunk, check

1 · Name the goal and evidence. Tell learners what they will do and what the response should demonstrate.

2 · Set up the start. Name the text or materials, where to begin, and where the response belongs. Show the page or location when available.

3 · Give the steps in order. Use short action verbs and number the sequence. Put one action or closely connected action pair in each step. Say what “finished” looks like.

4 · Clarify essential language. Explain task-specific or academic words in student-friendly language before learners need them. Keep definitions short and accurate to the task.

5 · Add a matched support. Name the barrier it addresses, offer a vocabulary cue, frame, chunk, example, or rehearsal that fits, and state the thinking or evidence that stays the same.

6 · Check the directions, then the work. Ask a learner to point to or restate the first step or response location. Treat this as a direction check, not proof that the task skill is mastered. Observe the actual task response for learning evidence.

Direction planner · target and task route

1 · Learning target and evidence

State what learners will think about or do and what their response should demonstrate. Keep the target separate from the directions for carrying out the task.

2 · Task, materials, and starting point

Name the exact task/source, needed materials, where to begin, and where the response belongs. Verify these details against the version learners will receive.

3 · Ordered learner-facing directions

Write short numbered actions in the order learners will do them. Use observable verbs, one action or closely connected pair per step, and a visible finish point.

4 · Essential vocabulary and language

List only words or phrases learners need to enter or complete this task. Give brief meanings in context and note when/how to introduce them without giving away the reasoning.

Direction planner · language and evidence

5 · Sentence frame or language model

Add an optional frame or example only if it addresses a specific language barrier. Leave space for the learner to supply the idea and evidence; state what the frame does not answer.

6 · Barrier-matched support

Name a likely barrier in this task and the support that addresses it. State what the support changes and what thinking, target, or evidence stays constant.

7 · Response routes and evidence limits

List available oral, written, visual, or combined response routes. Explain which show the target and when a mode changes the evidence, especially if writing is part of the objective.

8 · Finish, submission, and direction check

Tell learners how to recognize completion, where/how to submit or show the response, and how you will check direction access separately from the task learning evidence.

Direction-quality checklist

Before sharing directions, check each item against the actual learner task. A clear direction route should make the learning target and the evidence expected visible.

[ ] Criterion 1 · The planner names the task’s learning target and the evidence that would demonstrate it.

[ ] Criterion 2 · The start point, source, materials, and response location are specific and verified against the learner task.

[ ] Criterion 3 · Learner-facing steps are ordered, concrete, and small enough to follow.

[ ] Criterion 4 · Essential vocabulary is clarified in context without supplying the inference or answer.

[ ] Criterion 5 · If used, a frame addresses a named barrier while the learner supplies reasoning and evidence; mark N/A if none is needed.

[ ] Criterion 6 · Each support targets a task-specific barrier, with the learning target or thinking stated.

[ ] Criterion 7 · Response options fit the target, and any change in evidence from oral/written/visual mode is clear.

[ ] Criterion 8 · Directions state the finish/submission point and distinguish direction checks from learning evidence.

Vocabulary, frames, and response choices

Choose words that are essential to starting or completing this task. Give a brief, student-friendly meaning in the context where the word appears; a familiar synonym, quick example, or visual pointer may help. Do not pre-teach a conclusion the task asks learners to reason out.

Use a sentence frame only when language organization is a barrier and the frame still leaves the learner to supply the idea and evidence. For example: “I think ___ because the text says ___. This detail shows ___.” Remove or fade a frame when it is no longer needed. A frame is a support, not a scored answer or a diagnosis.

Oral and written response options

Decide what the task is meant to measure before offering response modes. If the target is reasoning from a source, a spoken, written, drawn, or arranged response may provide evidence of the same idea when the task and authorized plan allow it; note what each mode makes visible. If the target includes writing, spelling, sentence construction, or written organization, an oral response or sentence frame may change the evidence and should not be recorded as equivalent writing evidence.

Oral rehearsal can help a learner organize an idea before writing. It does not replace an independently written product when writing itself is the target. Check current local requirements and authorized learner-specific plans through the approved source; this general list does not establish an accommodation or replace an individual plan.

Before using the directions

Verify the actual task goal, source, materials, response location, vocabulary meaning, and finish point. Check that the written and spoken directions agree with the task learners will receive. Use current authorized sources for classroom or school procedures and for learner-specific supports.

Do not infer a diagnosis from a language barrier or assume every learner needs the same support. Do not invent a policy, accommodation, consequence, or specialized compliance claim. If a support or response option changes the target evidence, check with the appropriate local source and describe the evidence accurately. Avoid placing student names or private details in a reusable planner.