Using the State Curriculum: Reading/ELA, Grade PK

The teacher will work with the class to list the main events that occur throughout the school day in the order in which they occur. Main events might include circle time, the subjects that are taught during the day, snack time, etc. Pictures of daily events will be used to sequence the events. This exercise will serve to establish the fact that events occur in a certain order or sequence.

The teacher will reread a familiar story to the class, such as The Three Little Pigs. The teacher will have a set of picture cards depicting the main events in the story. As the teacher reads, the picture cards of the main events will be posted in the sequence in which they occur. For example, the first main event occurs when the pigs leave home. A picture card showing the three pigs waving good-by to their mother will be posted in a pocket chart, or other location that is visible to all children. There should also be picture cards of each pig building his house and pictures of the wolf blowing down the first two houses, as well as a picture of the final event.

After the story has been read, and all picture cards have been posted, the teacher will then model how to retell the story using the displayed pictures of the sequenced main events. The teacher will then remove the cards from the pocket chart and ask for volunteers to help sequence the events again. The every-student-response, thumbs-up thumbs-down, can be used to involve all students by asking if they agree with each newly-created event in the sequence. With teacher assistance, volunteers will retell the story using the sequenced cards. Students can then work with a partner, taking turns to retell the sequence of events to each other.

A second familiar story will be read to the class. This time each pair of students will receive an envelope with pictures of the main story events. They will work together, taking turns, to sequence the main events and retell the story to each other using the picture cards. The teacher will assess student learning at this time. For students having difficulty, a reteach group should be created. The teacher will reread the second story and model again the sequencing and retelling of the main events as with the first story. The students will then do the same with their own picture cards. The more capable students in the other group will retell the main events in sequence to an adult without the advantage of the picture cards.

The teacher will then read a third familiar story to the class. The students will work independently to sequence pictures of the main story events by pasting them on a sheet of paper. Each child will retell the sequence of main story events to an adult, with or without the advantage of the pictures. In this manner, the teacher will be able to assess each child for individual mastery of the objective.