Make Predictions

• Making predictions is one aspect of sequencing. Predicting is making an educated guess about what will happen in the future, as the story continues. When you read aloud to children, stop at the end of a chapter or cliffhanger section and ask what they think will happen next and why. Record the predictions on the chalkboard or chart paper and check them as you continue reading. Encourage children to make predictions when they read independently.
  
  

Retelling

• Orally retelling a story is a useful skill for both younger and older children. Read a story out loud or ask students to read one independently. After reading, ask each child to tell you what happened in the story. Gauge his comprehension by whether or not he names the significant events in the story and how successfully he puts them in the correct order. If the child doesn't seem to remember significant events, ask open-ended questions like, "What happened next?" to help him remember.
  
  

Beginning, Middle, End

• Identifying the beginning, middle and end of a short story is a helpful way to sequence the events. Give kindergarten and first-grade student a piece of paper with three boxes drawn side by side. Tell them to draw the beginning of the story in the first box, the middle of the story in the second box, and the end of the story in the last box. Ask students to tell you about their pictures and use this to check comprehension. Instruct students in second grade and beyond to write three to four sentences to tell about the beginning, middle and end of the story that they heard or read.
  
  

Timelines

• Timelines are an effective way to sequence not only historical events but also longer fictional stories. As your students read a longer story, start a timeline of important events. You can do this as a class and keep it on chart paper or a bulletin board, or students can do it individually in their notebooks. Draw pictures or write a sentence or two to reflect events in the story and their relation to each other. As you continue reading, refer back to the timeline when you need to remember which events happened when.