What is Sequencing
Sequencing refers to the identification of the components of a story, such as the beginning, middle, and end, and also to the ability to retell the events within a given text in the order in which they occurred. Sequencing is just one of the many strategies students can use to help comprehend what they read. A students ability to sequence the events in a story is a key comprehension strategy. Finding meaning in a text depends on the ability to understand and place the details within some larger context - the beginning, the middle, and the end. Connecting words such as once upon a time, then, later, afterwards, and in the end, are good examples of textual features, an understanding of which gives the reader a way of integrating the story's individual parts into its larger framework. This process assists the students in understanding the author's purpose.
(Reading Rockets Inc., 2015)
Sequencing is a strategy that reaches across the content areas, however, when selecting a text for sequencing, begin with pieces that have distinct events, processes a clear beginning, middle, and end, and can easily be retold. The text points to using fairy tales or fables.
To help hone and sharpen student's sequencing abilities, teachers can implement several concepts. Below are a few ideas suggested by Teacher Vision to help teachers get started.
Using Sequencing in the classroom
Read Aloud
Prior to reading a story aloud, remind students that they will be working on their sequencing skills. Depending on your lesson, you might say, "As we read, let's think about what happens during the beginning, middle, and end of the story," or "After we finish reading, we're going to try to retell the story."
As you read, pause frequently to ask students to identify the events in the story and to encourage them to think about when the beginning gives way to the middle and the middle transitions to the end.
Once you have read the story, make lists with students about the events that occurred, trying to arrange them sequentially. Sentence strips work well for this type of activity, since events can be written on individual strips and then rearranged as necessary to put the events in the correct order. Let students use these lists or strips as reminders as they retell the story by acting it out with puppets, for instance.
Independent Reading
Begin by reminding students that they will be working on their sequencing skills. One strategy that may be helpful is to give students pieces of paper and pencils to use as they read. Students can write page numbers and a few words to remind them of important events in the story. For instance, a student who is reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears in order to retell it may jot down:
Goldilocks comes in
She eats the porridge
She breaks the chair
She falls asleep
The bears come home
This list doesn't tell the whole story, but it does provide the key elements, in order, and would serve as a good outline for someone wanting to retell it themselves. If this procedure is new to students, model it before asking them to do it on their own, using a read aloud story and recording your own ideas in a think aloud style to show students how to do this on their own.
(Sandbox Network Inc., 2015)
Tie it to writing
After students have had the opportunity to thoroughly practice the sequencing strategy, implementing a writing activity such as a writing journal to track their sequences will prove very beneficial to students overall literacy. Students could also retell popular or favorite stories through written assignments by using proper sequencing of the story.
The following video is a fun explanation of Sequencing from the eyes of young readers. They discuss the meaning through real life examples, such as the days of the week, months of the year, numbers, and the alphabet. The also showcase the use of visuals in this strategy and how they can be used to enhance this strategy.
Sequencing refers to the identification of the components of a story, such as the beginning, middle, and end, and also to the ability to retell the events within a given text in the order in which they occurred. Sequencing is just one of the many strategies students can use to help comprehend what they read. A students ability to sequence the events in a story is a key comprehension strategy. Finding meaning in a text depends on the ability to understand and place the details within some larger context - the beginning, the middle, and the end. Connecting words such as once upon a time, then, later, afterwards, and in the end, are good examples of textual features, an understanding of which gives the reader a way of integrating the story's individual parts into its larger framework. This process assists the students in understanding the author's purpose.
(Reading Rockets Inc., 2015)
Sequencing is a strategy that reaches across the content areas, however, when selecting a text for sequencing, begin with pieces that have distinct events, processes a clear beginning, middle, and end, and can easily be retold. The text points to using fairy tales or fables.
To help hone and sharpen student's sequencing abilities, teachers can implement several concepts. Below are a few ideas suggested by Teacher Vision to help teachers get started.
Using Sequencing in the classroom
Read Aloud
Prior to reading a story aloud, remind students that they will be working on their sequencing skills. Depending on your lesson, you might say, "As we read, let's think about what happens during the beginning, middle, and end of the story," or "After we finish reading, we're going to try to retell the story."
As you read, pause frequently to ask students to identify the events in the story and to encourage them to think about when the beginning gives way to the middle and the middle transitions to the end.
Once you have read the story, make lists with students about the events that occurred, trying to arrange them sequentially. Sentence strips work well for this type of activity, since events can be written on individual strips and then rearranged as necessary to put the events in the correct order. Let students use these lists or strips as reminders as they retell the story by acting it out with puppets, for instance.
Independent Reading
Begin by reminding students that they will be working on their sequencing skills. One strategy that may be helpful is to give students pieces of paper and pencils to use as they read. Students can write page numbers and a few words to remind them of important events in the story. For instance, a student who is reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears in order to retell it may jot down:
Goldilocks comes in
She eats the porridge
She breaks the chair
She falls asleep
The bears come home
This list doesn't tell the whole story, but it does provide the key elements, in order, and would serve as a good outline for someone wanting to retell it themselves. If this procedure is new to students, model it before asking them to do it on their own, using a read aloud story and recording your own ideas in a think aloud style to show students how to do this on their own.
(Sandbox Network Inc., 2015)
Tie it to writing
After students have had the opportunity to thoroughly practice the sequencing strategy, implementing a writing activity such as a writing journal to track their sequences will prove very beneficial to students overall literacy. Students could also retell popular or favorite stories through written assignments by using proper sequencing of the story.
The following video is a fun explanation of Sequencing from the eyes of young readers. They discuss the meaning through real life examples, such as the days of the week, months of the year, numbers, and the alphabet. The also showcase the use of visuals in this strategy and how they can be used to enhance this strategy.
This teacher showcases her utilization of worksheets with her Sequencing strategy to help engage the reader and guide them in their ordering. This strategy is an excellent modeling video. The teacher in the video conducts an entire worksheet with step by step explanations of her actions and how she completes the sheet. It is an exceptional resource for modeling this strategy.
References:
Reading Rockets, Inc (2015) Story Sequencing. Retrieved June 5, 2015 from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/story_sequence
Sandbox Network Inc. (2015). Sequencing. Retrieved June 5, 2015, from https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/reading-comprehension/48779.html
Reading Rockets, Inc (2015) Story Sequencing. Retrieved June 5, 2015 from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/story_sequence
Sandbox Network Inc. (2015). Sequencing. Retrieved June 5, 2015, from https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/reading-comprehension/48779.html