Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Reading: Comprehension · Kindergarten

First, Next, Last: Putting Events in Order

Kindergartners learn to put events in order — first, next, then, and last — a skill that helps them retell stories and understand how things happen step by step.

KindergartenSequencing30 minutes1 class periodPlay-BasedExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Use order words (first, next, last).
  • ✓Put events in order.
  • ✓Retell steps in a sequence.
  • ✓Tell what happened first and last.
Essential Question

In the morning, what do you do FIRST? What comes NEXT? Putting things in the right order helps us tell what happened!

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Put It in Order

Project this and have children put the morning routine in order — what happens first, next, then, and last!

🗓️ Put the events in order — what comes first?Try it
Tap what happens first!
The Lesson · Play-Based Learning (Gather · Explore · Play · Reflect)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Gather — What Comes First?

5 min

In the morning, what do you do first?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Talk about a morning routine.
  • Ask what comes first.
  • Set the goal: order words.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think about morning.
  • Say what’s first.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — First, Next, Last

10 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Put It in Order.
  • Order the events.
  • Use order words.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order the events.
  • Use order words.
  • Say them.
3

Play — Order Games

12 min

Play together.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Order picture cards.
  • Retell a story in order.
  • Use first, next, last.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order cards.
  • Retell it.
  • Use order words.
4

Create — My Order Story

8 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Draw three things in order.
  • Tell them first to last.
  • Share it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Draw in order.
  • Tell them.
  • Share it.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Share an order.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Tell what happened first.
  • Tell what happened last.
  • Celebrate order words!

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say first.
  • Say last.
  • Cheer!
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (Kindergarten).

CCSS
RL.K.2

Retell familiar stories, including key details in order.

CCSS
RL.K.3

Identify major events in a story.

CCSS
RI.K.2

Identify the main topic and retell key details.

CCSS
W.K.3

Narrate events in the order they occurred.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Order words with pictures.
  • Sentence frame: “First ___, next ___, last ___.”
  • Order picture cards.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with two events.
  • Use clear picture cards.
  • Say order words together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Order four or five events.
  • Retell a whole story in order.
  • Write order words.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / tablet
  • 🖼️Sequence picture cards
  • 💻Put It in Order
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 📄Drawing paper
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

orderthe way things go, first to lastfirstthe one at the startnextwhat comes afterthenthe one after nextlastthe one at the endsequencethings in orderretelltell it againeventsomething that happens
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What word tells the very first thing?
First.
QUESTION 2
What word tells the very last thing?
Last.
QUESTION 3
In getting ready, what comes first — waking up or going to school?
Waking up.

Growing at home? Order the day.

Have families talk about the order of daily routines — “First we… next we… last we…” A printable sequencing page is in the Early Learning library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 First, Next, LastFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 First, Next, LastQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ First, Next, LastPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: event, first, last, next, order, retell, sequence, then
  1. the one at the end
  2. the one after next
  3. the one at the start
  4. something that happens
  5. what comes after
  6. the way things go, first to last
  7. things in order
  8. tell it again

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What word tells the very first thing?
  2. What word tells the very last thing?
  3. In getting ready, what comes first — waking up or going to school?
Answer key — Part A: 1) last · 2) then · 3) first · 4) event · 5) next · 6) order · 7) sequence · 8) retell
Part B: 1) First. 2) Last. 3) Waking up.