Teaching Sequencing in Stories

Story Events Happen in Chronological Order

Jan 28, 2009
DeLene Sholes

Stories in Time Order - Gracey

The ability to understand the order in which events happened in a story is a skill that students must have in order to become efficient readers and writers.

Events in most stories happen in chronological order. Words like first, then, last, soon, at the same time, and finally are words that signal the order in which events happened.

Signal Words that Tell Order

Write the story below on chart paper or a dry erase board. Ask for a volunteer to read it out loud. Then ask for volunteers to name the words that signal the order of the events in the story. Give them a list of signal words and tell them that words like these help them know the correct order of events in a story.

First we paddled down a creek so narrow there was barely room for our canoe. It was a warm, sunny day. A fish jumped in front of our kayak. After a while we looked at our maps to see where we were going. Then we thought we were going in the right direction. We were looking for a place to stop and eat. Next, we found a sandy bank and ate our lunch. After we ate, we started paddling again. We paddled for just a few minutes. Soon we got worried again that we might be lost. Finally, we broke through the dark underbrush and saw the bright summer sun shining on the Bay."

Arrange Events in Time Order

Give each student a copy of a story with the events out of order:

Whilewe were eating we saw an alligator in the waterAfter we ate, we surprised a mother osprey with babies in her nest. As soon as we got there, we spread our picnic of peanut butter and crackers. She was so upset with us that she threatened us, sweeping toward us repeatedly. Finally it was time to paddle back. Right away we paddled hard to get away from the mother osprey."

Divide the students into groups of four. Tell them to choose a writer and a recorder. Tell them to work together to decide the correct order of events in the story. When they have finished, ask the recorder from one group to share their work. Ask the other groups if they agree. If they do not, ask them to tell why.

Take a look at the Florida Department of Education's Multicultural Education website and choose from many activities developed by Cassandra Yorke on sequencing. Activities like these give students practice in recognizing signal words, or words that give clues about the order of events in a story. Efficient readers and writers are able to use their understanding of chronological order.