Reading Sequencing Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RF.3-5

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

Understanding the sequence of events in a story and being able to take another step and retell that story in order are difficult for elementary students. Students should focus on the three main parts of a body of work which include the beginning, middle, and ending. If you can place where within these parts an event or action takes place, you have a decent handle on the story. Sequencing in reading is one of more than dozen skills that can affect your ability to comprehend that which you are reading or taking in visually. The process of sequencing is having the innate ability to attribute a location or mental rolodex, if you would, as to where things belong within a story. The goal is to have students have an almost photographic sense of where an event is ordered and takes place. These worksheets will help students work on their sequencing skills.

Reading Sequencing Worksheets:

Mr. DeNunzio - Mr. DeNunzio was an accountant, but Mr. DeNunzio didn't like his job. Every morning, when it was time to get up to go to work, Mr. DeNunzio's chest got tight.

The Soda Habit - Damian loved soda. He loved soda so much that he drank it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Watsons - Mr. Watson liked to tinker with things. He had a workshop in the garage, where he kept a lot of tools, and when he wasn't building something or fixing something, he was taking something apart and trying to make it "better."

Kit and Kat - Kat was sad when he went back in the house. It didn't seem like his dream of having a pet was going to come true.

Gone Fishing - The paragraphs in the story below are out of order. Read the paragraphs. Put the tale in order by numbering the paragraphs 1, 2, and 3. Write the number on the box.

Squirt - Once there was a little squid by the name of Squirt. He was called Squirt because every time he was startled, he would release a stream of black ink into the water behind him, and Squirt was startled a LOT.

Spry Guy the Dragonfly - Guy lived in a suburban back yard, in a diverse and busy neighborhood. There were bees and ladybugs, Japanese beetles and praying mantises, grasshoppers and lightning bugs.

Sequencing Worksheet - Listen to the story which will be read to you. Then answer the questions.

Story Flow - Listen to the tale. Draw a picture of each major story event on the timeline, in the order in which they happen.

Narrative Boxer - Draw pictures that illustrate events that happen in the story. Cut out each of your pictures. Then glue them on a piece of long paper, in the order that they happened.

The Red Ball - Cut out the strips. Put the tale of the red ball into the correct order. Glue the strips in order onto a new piece of paper.

Leonard in Love - Once an old woman bought a pair of lovebirds from the pet store. She brought them home and hung up the cage by her front window. She named the birds Leonard and Linda. But all was not well.

The Baby-sitter's Secret - Tony's parents were going out for the evening. Tony was going to have a baby-sitter. "I am not a baby," Tony said. "I do not want a baby-sitter." But the baby-sitter. arrived.

George - Read the story parts. Then cut them out and put them into the correct order. Glue the events in order onto a clean piece of paper. This will help you improve your ability with the process of sequencing.

Dice Game - Take turns rolling the die. On your turn, find the story part that matches the # on the die.

How to Understand Chronological Sequence of What You Are Reading?


While reading a book or a story, you should be able to clearly understand the events in chronological order. It helps you become a better reader and does not create room for confusion and difficulties. Understanding the right sequence will also help you stay focused. This eventually makes you retain information faster. In order to understand the chronological sequence of a story, readers must look for certain clues which are discussed below.


Transition Words

Writers use transition words to move on to the next idea. These transition words also convey the order of events. Most used transition words by writers include:


At the same time
Prior to this
Firstly
Secondly
Thirdly
After
Before
Then
Next
Later


Calendar Time

Writers also use the support of calendar time to make the sequence of events clear in a story. They use dates, months and years to inform when something happened. For example,


200 years ago
On a bright sunny day in October
On the 27th of September, 1997
In the previous decade
During the 1970s
In the 19th century


Duration

Sometimes, writers mention the duration of events they are describing. The purpose is to tell exactly how long something lasted. Look out for numbers and phrases that indicate the duration to understand the chronological sequence.


For the past couple of years
In the past three decades
For 300 years
In the next five months
Within two weeks
For the following seven years


Cause and Effect

Almost all writings involve the usage of words and phrases that show that one event caused another to take place. Apart from the sequence, identification of these words also helps you to understand the relationship between two points. Below is the list of common linking words used by writers:


Led to
Because of this
As a result of
Consequently
Therefore
Thus
Hence


Why Is Sequencing Important in Reading and Writing?

In order for your audience to best understand the intention of what you are exploring in your writing you must, as an author, put down a clear series of events for your readers to be able to follow. Readers should be able to easy see how a story flows and make sense of what came first and onward. As students learn to identify sequencing regularly in the stories that they read, it will easily translate into stories that they write. As the saying goes, "Good readers make better writers!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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