Sequencing

Strategies to support sequencing

• Use real life: Talk to the child about sequences as you are doing them. For example, “You’re washing your face, next you’re brushing your teeth, then you’re brushing your hair”, “I’m sorting the reading books, next I’m giving them out, then you’re putting yours in your book bag”.
• Summarise the story: After reading a story, summarise the story into 3 or 4 main parts. Ask the child to retell the story like you did. Give them lots of praise.
• Think about the order: Encourage the child to complete an activity in a given order. For example, if they are putting the shopping into the cupboard, ask them to put the pasta in first, then the biscuits and then the cereal. Give them the whole instruction before they start.
• Encourage the child to give instructions: As the child progresses, encourage them to give you instructions. Or they can retell the story in the correct order.
• Reinforce the vocabulary used in sequencing throughout the day: The main concepts are: first, next, then, last.

• • “First we will do phonics, then playtime…”
  • “First walk along the bench, then stand in the hoop…”
  • “First we butter the bread, then we add the chicken…”

• Leave gaps: As the child gets used to the structure, the adult can leaves pauses for the child to fill. For example, “First, we get out the ingredients, next we...”
• Introduce more complex language: As the child develops their skills, introduce more concepts like ‘before’, ‘after’, ‘earlier’, ‘soon’ and ‘nearly’.
• Be careful with sequencing pictures: Children learn better from sequencing real events, rather than pictures or cards. If children do not experience the event, they do not see the consequence of getting the order wrong.
• Introduce concepts: For older children it is important to teach times of the day, days of the week, and months of the year.
• Use visuals: Use the first, next, and then grid visual to support the child’s understanding.
• Make predictions: Encourage the child to predict what is going to happen next during the day. For example, "We’ve finished play… what’s next?" "You’ve spilt your drink… what will you do next?" Start with simple predictions in real situations from the child’s perspective. Then, ask the child to predict what others will do in real situations. For example, "It’s Sophie’s birthday… what might she have after school?", "Your brother has fallen over… what might he need to do?" If the child cannot make a suggestion, then you could give them 2 alternatives. Try making predictions with familiar and then unfamiliar stories.