Brief description, and rules of the implementation of the learning activity

Secret Instruction is an activity that develops children’s cognitive flexibility, and it works as follows: 

At the beginning of the lesson or session, each student (or some of the students, depending on their age and the time available) receives a small piece of paper with a two-sentence instruction written just for them, which does not fit into the normal routine of the lesson. One sentence contains a condition, the other an instruction. When the condition is met, the student must execute the instruction on the piece of paper (sing a funny song). Students must, of course, carry out their normal classroom activities, pay attention to the teacher, answer questions, work in groups, etc., but they must also execute the assigned task (written in her/his paper) at the appropriate time.

This is an attention-building activity in which each student receives a one-sentence instruction written just for them on a small piece of paper. During the lesson or session, while participating in the regular classroom activities, they must also keep this instruction in mind and carry it out at the appropriate time, according to the condition stated.

Skill focus

Primary Skill Focus

  • Flexibility

Complementary/Secondary Skill Focus

  • Emotional awareness (emotional regulation and communication)
  • Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness
  • Resilience
Age groupStudent numberDuration
9 + years oldclass sizevariable (throughout a lesson)

Proposed step by step implementation of the learning activity

  1. The appropriate number of instructions should be prepared in advance – each student receives one.
  2. It is advisable to plan the instructions in a logical sequence so that one action triggers the next.
  3. It is useful to record the planned sequence, but this should not be shared with the students.
  4. Each selected student receives a separate, unnumbered instruction that begins with “if …” and ends with “then …,” which only they know.
  5. The activity starts upon a predetermined signal or event.
  6. The signal triggers a chain reaction: students respond to each other’s actions.
  7. The process should be monitored to detect any interruptions.
  8. A group discussion at the end helps to process the experience and deepen learning.