The sequence and flow of the day – how understanding is coming together
Sequencing helps your child carry out events and tell stories in the right order. You probably talk to your child every day about what's happening, putting together a sequence of plans. Being able to put events into chronological order is a skill that’s used more than you might think, and one that'll be handy for your child to achieve.
Putting events in order happens all the time – your daily routine is a perfect example of this!
“Get your coat first then bring your bag. Oh, and we’ll have to stop at the shop after school to get some bread.”
Now they’re a little older, you can probably start to provide your child with more complex information as their understanding of more detailed words and sentences develops. And when you describe what you're doing using many connective words, it helps them better understand what will happen.
Understanding how to order and sequence events will help massively in day-to-day life.
Think about everything you do that follows a particular order: using a recipe, tying shoelaces, getting in the car and setting off – everything has its own sequence of events.
Lots of connective words fall naturally into these sequences; you might find you describe the day by saying, “We’ll pop to the shop, then stop at Uncle Mason’s before we go to the park, perhaps after that we’ll get an ice-cream.”
Saying things in the correct time order helps your child to understand what is happening and when.[1]
When your child hears you saying things in the correct sequence, using connective words, it helps them process what is happening in a logical way; it can also help them understand how they can sequence events too.
You might hear them talk about placing blocks on top of each other when they play, knowing they want to put the bigger blocks at the bottom with the smaller ones on top. This all counts as connecting their thoughts and playing out a sequence of events.
Listening to and telling stories helps your child understand sequencing.
A typical story has a beginning, middle and end and this structure helps children form the foundations for understanding how to order events.
Some of your child's stories may have previously been jumbled up and told out of sequence, but as their knowledge and memory grow, they are becoming better at organising them and retelling them in the correct order.[2]
According to research, using questions and comments during story times that begin with ‘when?’ and ‘where?’ supports children in creating their own stories.[2] This is because they learn more about narrative development and how to tell a story while also forming sentences that flow and connect.
Once they gain more confidence with these skills, you’ll start to hear well-structured, logical stories.
Often their understanding of connecting a trail of events can be seen being acted out in play.[3]
When they are super interested in a story, it helps them to create a narrative for themselves. Telling their own stories helps your child learn how to link together happenings.
They might visualise themselves in a role and retell their story to friends or family, or perhaps act it out. This type of play helps them develop a more detailed, sequential storyline.[4]
References:
[1] Gouldthorp, B., Katsipis, L., Mueller, C. (2017). An Investigation of the Role of Sequencing in Children's Reading Comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly. 53. 10.1002/rrq.186.
[2] Kelly, K., Ocular, G., Zamudio, J., Plascencia, J. (2020). But what about the beginning? : Young children's independent narrative structure and how mothers promote chronological coherence during narrative conversations.
[3] Brock, A., Rankin, C. (2008) Communication, Language and Literacy from Birth to Five. Sage Publications Ltd.
[4] Berk, L.E. (2013) Child Development. Pearson.