We make educational software. Each Lesson has instructions.

Sometimes the instructions are fairly obvious (Click the picture that matches the spoken word), sometimes they are more complicated :

1. Listen to the word.
2. Say the word until you feel like you've got it.
3. If you need help, click the Hints button.
4. When you feel like you've Got it, click the Next Word button.

The problem we have is that 80% of the folks I test with don't read the instructions. At. All. (Not an uncommon problem based on my 20 years of experience with this).

Solutions I've considered:

1. Display the instructions (the first time) one line at a time. This adds visual interest. (our education expert doesn't like this b/c he's concerned that changing the instructions in anyway ( like gradually revealing them the first time through) would confuse our brain-injured users.
2. Use a very legible handwriting font for the instructions so they stand out more from everything else.
3. Use one of those "sketch overlay" screens like this:
4. Changing the button name to Got it (but then adding a second button for Skip it