The act of reading directions and being able to carry out those directions precisely is very different from reading prose--such a specific skill needs to be taught to adult students. Being able to follow directions is an important workplace competency, as well as being crucial for completing tests required of job applicants. Mountains of forms, in daily life as well as on the job, require the reading and understanding of directions. One activity to see if adult students can do what written directions ask is to use the chalkboard to write simple directions using only familiar vocabulary. As in any other reading instruction, the teacher needs to begin teaching this skill at the level of vocabulary and understanding of the students. (Contains 8 references and 7 sample activities that can be adapted for use in most any classroom.) (RS)