How to Teach Sequencing to Young Children

Children can learn the sequential order of familiar activities.

The order in which things actually happen is the sequential order. Your students can learn about sequencing by putting familiar events, ideas and objects into their logical order. Key vocabulary words for sequential order are "first," "next," "then" and "finally." Ordinal numbers are also important vocabulary words for sequential order (e.g. "first," "second"). Sequencing with pictures will help your students remember the actual order of events and give them important clues about what comes next.

Things You'll Need

• Disposable digital camera
• Computer
• Printer
• Photo album
• Labels
• Marker

Instructions

1. Introduce sequential order vocabulary words like "first," "next," "then" and "finally" while you talk to your students about their daily routines (e.g. First you brush your teeth, next you put on your pajamas, then you listen to a story and finally you go to sleep.). Ask your students' parents to take sequential pictures of some of their child's daily routines (e.g. eating breakfast, walking to school). Send a disposable digital camera home with students whose family does not have a digital camera. Ask parents who have a digital camera to email the photos or upload them to a public server. Download the pictures to your computer and use your photo software to print out three or four copies of each picture.

2. Create a title for each daily routine (e. g. Eating Breakfast). Write the vocabulary words "first," "next," "then" and "finally" on 4-by-1-inch labels. Put the titles and and your daily routine photos in sequential order in the photo album(s). Place the labels "first," "next," "then" and "finally" beneath each picture in the correct sequential order. Leave a blank page between each set of photos. Discuss the pictures in the albums at circle time using the vocabulary words (e.g. First Sarah poured cereal, next she added milk, then she ate her cereal and finally she put her bowl away.).

3. Choose several students to come to the front of the class. Give them a set of photos that match the ones in the album. Tell them to place their matching pictures on top of the pictures in the photo album to copy the sequence. Point to each of the matched photos and explain what is happening using the sequencing vocabulary words (e.g. First Sarah poured cereal, next she added milk, then she ate her cereal and finally she put her bowl away.). Encourage your students to describe the sequential order of the pictures using the vocabulary words.

4. Close the photo album. Give one of your students the set of "matching" pictures and ask the student to place the photos in sequential order on the rug. Ask another student to describe the sequence using the sequential order vocabulary words. Repeat this procedure with more students. Tell the students that you will place the photo album and the matching photos in the activity center to be used during center time. Repeat this activity at the next circle time to help your students understand the sequencing concept.

References

• Super Duper Inc: The Importance of Teaching Sequencing to Young Children