Children in kindergarten are typically just beginning to read simple words and understand the structure of stories. Helping students to break stories into a beginning, middle and end helps them both with comprehension and with remembering what they have read. Sequencing a story is the process of breaking it down into parts, and is a beginning skill that children can use as they learn to read and recall storybooks.
Simple Book
Read a simple story with a definite beginning, middle and end. As you are reading the book, discuss each part and what is happening during the beginning, middle and end of the book. After reading the book, retell the story by asking the children to explain what happened in each part of the story. If appropriate, the children can take turns acting out each part of the book. When you complete reviewing the book, have the children draw a picture of what is happening in each section of the story on separate papers. When they are finished, have each child show his artwork and explain his pictures of the beginning, middle and end of the story.
School Sequences
Walk around the school and look for sequences in the daily activities of the students. In the cafeteria, demonstrate what you do in the beginning, middle and end when you purchase a lunch. Discuss what the beginning, middle and end of a practice fire drill would be. Go to the library and show what the beginning, middle and end of choosing a book from the library. After the class has discussed some ideas, ask the children to tell stories of things they do at school with a beginning, middle and end.
Picture Cards
The children can make picture cards of things they do in the classroom that have a beginning, middle and end. For example, they arrive at the classroom in the morning, hang their coat in the coat closet and then they sit in their chair. Each child can then tell a story about her picture cards.
Sequence Storybook
Discuss with the children what they do each morning when they wake up. They may wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, do homework, watch television or get on the school bus. List things the children do in the morning on the whiteboard. Then ask each child to make a storybook of what he does in the morning. Instruct them to draw the pictures in the order in which they do them. The children can label the pictures and read their morning story to the class.
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Dean Hunting is a retired businessman who began writing professionally in 2008. He specializes in topics related to cooking, sports, home-improvement projects and hunting. Hunting is also a Vietnam veteran and attended Pennsylvania State University for a B.A. in mechanical engineering.