Jj is for Jottings 127.  Sequencing is Important.

We probably don’t think about it very much, but sequencing is important in many aspects of our lives.  A definition of “sequence” is: a set of related events, movements, or items that follow each other in a particular order.  (This is the definition for the noun.  It is also a verb, as in “I’m going to sequence the tracks on my playlist.”)

Many times, if things are not in sequence, they don’t make any sense.  Although the playlist referred to above has a sequence, the sequence isn’t vital; it’s just a preference.  But if you put on your shoes first and then your socks…

SEQUENCING IS A BASIC THINKING SKILL.

Sequencing often happens automatically and unconsciously, such as in the shoes and socks example. We need to challenge our children to look for logical order, or they will miss out on vital preparation for critical thinking skills.  Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. Children will need critical thinking skills across the curriculum as they grow older.  They also need to be able to remember sequences.

Critical Thinking.

But critical thinking is also really important in everyday life.  Many professions and other forms of employment require critical thinking skills.

The application of critical thinking to interactions with people would lead to fewer negative reactions and less damage to relationships.  This applies either face to face or on social media.  If you think about the sequence of events which may have led up to a particular statement or action, you might have a better understanding of the other person’s point of view. Then you may be less likely to give a hasty negative response and to just let the thing go.

Here’s something to aspire to.  Think about possible consequences of your words or actions before you say or do anything.  (Note the word “sequence” within “consequence”. Con means “with, together”; sequence means “to follow”, as defined above.)  You may see that you will set in train a sequence of undesirable events, so you can choose not to say or do whatever it was.  Not easy, but the results can make life much easier.

Critical thinking is aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes in any situation.  So it is also important in deciding what belief systems to adopt, whether or not you get swept up into the mob mentality, whether you get taken in by conspiracy theories, and so on.

So, critical thinking is really important in all areas of life, and the ability to recognise and sequence is a basic building block for critical thinking.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEQUENCING.

Sequencing crops up in many areas of life, and we may not always notice where sequencing is occurring.  Here are some examples and ways to bring sequencing to children’s attention, not in any particular order.

Everyday Sequences.

There are some activities in which sequence is important, and some in which it just doesn’t matter.  Think about whether sequence would be important for activities such as:

• Building a cubby house.
• Reading a book.
• Colouring a picture.
• Eating a cake.
• Counting to 50 by 2’s.
• Saying the names of all your pets.
• Playing the piano.

 Words in a Sentence.

Write out a sentence, chop it up into individual words, and have the child rearrange the words into a sensible sentence.  This is obviously for older children, although you can do it with 3 and 4 word sentences for younger children.  You will have to do most of the reading, though.  This is also a wonderful language activity.

Early Literacy.

Sounds in words obviously occur in sequence, and children need to learn to listen to sound sequences in words and to be able to systematically analyse them.  As always, you can be absolutely certain that they are doing this correctly when they can work with nonsense words.

 

Letters in a Word.

eg. capel (place), opho (hoop). This is definitely for older children, and it is quite a surprising exercise. Some secondary students (and adults) really struggle with this, and others just do it intuitively.

Sentences/Events in a Story.

You can have a child arrange a series of sentences into a little story.  “What would happen first?”   “What would happen next?” etc.  If the child is too young to read, you can do this by reading each sentence, and have them choose what happened first, next etc.

Number Sequences.

Have the child fill in missing numbers in an established pattern.

For example: 1  3  _  7  9  _  13  _  17  19.

Rearrange Natural Sequences.

There are natural sequences such as days of the week, months of the year, sizes of objects (from smallest to largest), ages (baby, toddler, child etc.), seasons, arranging words in alphabetical order, and so on.  Present a sequence out of order and have the child order them correctly.  Make sure that they know the sequence in the first place.  I have been astonished to find how few children can tell you the seasons, months of the year and even days of the weeks.  Even secondary children.  If you find such deficits, that’s the cue to teach them the sequence in question.

Have the Child Tell You the Steps in Everyday Activities.

Examples are how to make a cheese sandwich; getting ready for school, cleaning teeth, getting dressed; putting on a coat; sweeping the floor.  It is interesting to see that they often have to learn to break things up into individual actions because they see the activity as a whole.  It can be helpful if you pretend you come from another planet and they have to instruct you.  You do only as they say.  They will then see when they are not being clear enough or when they are not breaking the task into small steps.  You can have a lot of fun with this.

Re-telling a Story.

Not word for word, but the sequence of events in the story.

SEQUENCING IS IMPORTANT.

As you can see, sequences pop up in many areas of life, and teaching our children about them is important for their ability to function well.

 

 

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