Putting Picture Stories in Order

Step by step

1. 1Print and cut out 3-picture sequences (seed-sprout-flower, melting snowman).
2. 2Look at the scrambled pictures together and name what you see on each one.
3. 3Ask "Which one comes first?" and let your child move them around, test things out, and change their mind.
4. 4Line the pictures up from left to right, just like reading.
5. 5Listen to them tell the story; prompt them with transition words ("First... then... and at the end?").
6. 6Take it further: try 4-picture sequences, funny twist endings, making up a missing ending, or writing down the story as they dictate it to you.

What it builds

Putting pictures in order and retelling the story teaches that events happen in a sequence: beginning, middle, and end. Grasping this basic story structure is a huge boost for reading comprehension later on.