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Reteach
Sequence
Keeping track of the sequence of events helps students understand what they read. Use this routine to help students develop sequence skills.
4  RECORD A SEQUENCE ON A CHART
  • After reading a story, students can work in pairs to create story sequence charts to show the order of events.
  • For a nonfiction selection, partners can create time lines to show the chronological sequence of events.
Graphic Organizer 7
Graphic Organizer 7
1  DISCUSS SEQUENCE
Tell students it is important to keep track of the sequence, or order, of events to understand some stories and articles. Discuss a story recently read in which the sequence of events was crucial to a correct understanding of the story.
2  TEACH CLUE WORDS
Write clue words on the board that can signal sequence, such as first, next, then, and finally. Explain that these words show the order in which things happen. Also teach that dates and times of the day also signal sequence.
3  SEQUENCE SENTENCE STRIPS
Write a clear sequence of events on sentence strips. Partners can work together to place the strips in the correct order. They can retell the events, inserting clue words to show the sequence.
Kane, Sharon. "Teaching Skills Within Meaningful Contexts." The Reading Teacher, vol. 52, no. 2 (October 1998), pp. 182–184.
Sharon Kane,
"Teaching Skills Within Meaningful Contexts"
"Classes that read widely will encounter all sorts of ways authors play with time; recognizing flashbacks and attending to words and phrases denoting the passage of time or the sequential order of events are crucial to comprehension."
FOCUS ON RESEARCH
Research on Sequence