Story Order with Sequence Words
Putting a Story in Order
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Putting a Story in Order
Open with the idea that stories happen in an order. Keep examples very familiar, such as getting dressed, making toast, or going to bed.
Our learning goal
I can use first, next, then, after that, and last to put a very short familiar story in the correct order.
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One sequence word you know
Accept simple answers such as first, next, then, last, before, after. Use the cloud to hear what pupils already know and say the words aloud together.
Beginning, middle and end
A short story has an order.
It has a beginning.
It has a middle.
It has an end.
We read or tell the events in the right order.
Use simple gestures: point left for beginning, centre for middle, and right for end. This helps pupils hold the story shape in mind.
What happens at the start?
The beginning tells us how the story starts.
It shows the first event.
It helps us know who or what the story is about.
Use a familiar routine story, for example: a child wakes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, goes to school.
What happens in the middle?
The middle tells us what happens after the start.
More events happen here.
The story keeps moving on.
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What happens at the end?
The end tells us how the story finishes.
It is the last part.
The story stops here.
Contrast the start and ending clearly. Pupils often choose a strong picture rather than the true ending, so stress that the end is when the action finishes.
Which word tells the start of a story?
middle
end
beginning
last
Checks the first subtopic: beginning, middle and end. 'Last' is a useful distractor because pupils may confuse start/end words.
Story parts
A short story has a beginning. In the middle, more events happen. The end is the last part.
Echoes the wording from slides 2 to 5. Read it aloud once before pupils answer if needed.
Sequence words help us
We use sequence words to show the order of events in a story. These words tell us what happens before and what happens after.
Say each word aloud with a pause and a hand movement forwards to reinforce order.
Common sequence words
First = the start
Next = the event after first
Then = another event after that
After that = one more event later
Last = the end
Keep the meanings concrete. For Pre-A1 learners, avoid long explanations and attach each word to a position in a short spoken example.
A short example
First, Sam gets bread.
Next, Sam puts jam on it.
Then, Sam eats it.
Last, Sam puts the plate away.
Read the example aloud twice. On the second reading, emphasise the sequence words more than the details of the actions.
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The words show the order
We can change the events.
Then the story sounds wrong.
Sequence words help us keep the right order.
They make the story easier to follow.
1
2
3
4
You can model one incorrect order orally to show why order matters, but keep the slide itself simple and positive.
Before and after
Before means earlier.
After means later.
In a story, one event happens before another event.
We listen for what comes after it.
Use two simple actions, such as 'wash hands' and 'eat lunch', to show before and after in a concrete way.
Example of before and after
Mia washes her hands.
After that, Mia eats lunch.
Washing hands happens before eating lunch.
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What comes after first?
next
last
before
middle
Targets the taught meaning of common sequence words from slides 6 to 11.
Order words
Mia washes her hands first. After that, Mia eats lunch. Washing hands is before lunch.
Uses the familiar before/after example from slide 11 and simple sequence wording from slides 7 to 10.
Putting pictures in order
A picture story can have 2 to 4 parts.
We look for what happens first.
Then we place the other pictures in order.
The last picture shows the ending.
Mention that pupils can use clues in the pictures: getting ready, doing the action, and finishing the action.
Putting sentences in order
Short sentences can tell a story.
We read each sentence carefully.
We ask: does this come before or after?
Then we put the sentences into a logical order.
For this level, 'logical order' should mean familiar real-world order, not complex inference.
Start and ending clues
The start often shows the action beginning.
The ending often shows the action finished.
These clues help us order the story.
Useful examples: putting on shoes before going outside; seed in pot before flower grows; empty plate before finished meal.
Story order helps meaning
When events are in the correct order, the story makes sense. We can understand the beginning, the middle, and the end.
This lands the central idea: sequence words and story order work together to make meaning clear.
Which picture should be last?
action starts
action ends
getting ready
first event
Based on slides 12 to 16 about finding the start and ending clues. Distractors match real clues pupils see in picture sequences.
Glossary
story - a set of events we read or tell
order - the way events are placed, from start to finish
beginning - the start of a story
middle - the part after the beginning and before the end
end - the final part of a story
sequence words - words that show the order of events
event - something that happens
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Glossary
first - at the start
next - after first
then - after that
after that - later on in the order
last - at the end
before - earlier than something else
after - later than something else
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