Sequencing
Recognizing the order of events not only helps in reading comprehension with stories or historical events, but also provides a foundation for breaking large tasks into managable pieces that must go together in proper order. This exercise pairs students who will do the preparation work for you.
Sequencing refers to putting events or actions in order. One example is chronological order, as is common with historical events. Another is the ordering of steps to carry out, as we find with procedures such as instructions, recipes, and manuals. Time life cycle also uses the sequential format.
Of all the text structures, sequencing is the easiest for students to understand. Students see many examples of sequencing in their lives and have read many stories in which the order of the story makes a difference. Being able to perceive the order of events not only helps in reading comprehension with stories and historical events, but it also aids students in breaking large tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Teaching Strategies that have been found effective in teaching sequencing as a text structure include:
  • Teaching students the vocabulary that signals sequencing, i.e., words such as first, next, then, initially, before, after, when, finally, preceding, and following
  • Teaching students to use and then create graphic organizers, particularly time lines
  • Teaching students how to ask probing questions to discern the sequencing pattern, for example:
    • What is being described?
    • Why is the sequence important?
    • What are major steps in this sequence?
    • Why did the author use chronological order?