About this activity
Eight drawing tasks that build a sequence and then ask for it back: draw step one of brushing your teeth, then step two, then the last step, and now tell me all the steps in order. The same shape repeats for the school day and for making a sandwich, ending with getting ready for bed using first, then, after that and finally. Drawing the steps holds the sequence still while the child finds the words.
How to use it in a session
Draw all three before asking for any narration. If the child tells you each step as they draw it, the retelling at the end becomes a repetition rather than a recall, and the recall is the target. Point at the pictures in order the first time and then cover them, which is the step that moves this from a supported task to an independent one. Twelve minutes covers one routine with the retell.
What to listen for
Listen for temporal connectives appearing. A retell that is just three sentences in order is correct and unmarked; first, then and finally are what a teacher will ask for. Watch for steps in the wrong order, which is different from missing connectives — sequencing and language are separate problems here, and the drawings make it obvious which one you are looking at.
Carrying it home
Any routine at home is a sequence: getting dressed, feeding a pet, packing a bag. Asking the child to tell you the steps before doing it takes thirty seconds and rehearses the same structure.
Questions
- What ages is this for?
- Kindergarten through second grade, where temporal sequencing is an early narrative skill.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all eight tasks play with no account.
- My student draws well but can't tell the steps back. What now?
- Cover the drawings and give the connectives as a prompt — first, then, finally — one at a time. The pictures may be doing the remembering, and removing them shows what the language is carrying.