Do all speech-language pathologists have a favorite speech therapy activity? Or is it just me? If I had to pick, I'd have to say that "sequencing activities" is at the top of my list.
Time for me to come clean– I’m guilty of hoarding the sequencing cards in my therapy room when I worked at a speech therapy clinic. Those cards were such a go-to for targeting such a range of goal areas.
I absolutely love sequencing activities, and there are so many reasons why. From improving language skills to fostering essential life skills, the ability to order events– whether receptively or expressively– is an incredibly effective use of therapy time. It’s not just purposeful; it’s impactful and engaging.
WHY USE SEQUENCING ACTIVITIES IN SPEECH THERAPY
When we do sequencing activities in speech therapy, SLPs can do so much more than work on simply arranging pictures in the correct order. We can target a wide range of important areas, such as:
Narrative language, or telling coherent stories with events in a logical order.
Processing, recalling, and organizing pieces of information.
Temporal and order concepts, such as "before," "after," "first," and "last."
Formulating complete sentences using various syntax skills.
Following directions or ordering the steps of everyday routines and tasks to foster independence.
Understanding short stories or recalling text that was read.
Utilizing carryover both articulation goals and fluency strategies in meaningful contexts.
In short, sequencing tasks are very versatile for many different speech therapy goals. But beyond their adaptability, sequencing activities suit a range of age groups. While the activities might look different across age ranges, sequencing can be used with both younger students and middle school and high school students.
SPEECH THERAPY ACTIVITIES FOR SEQUENCING
Since sequencing activities are so versatile for speech therapy, here are some ideas to incorporate into sessions.
Temporal Concepts
Before diving headfirst into sequencing skills, you may want to ensure that your students understand time-related words and phrases. These concepts are important to understanding and expressing the order of events.
This temporal concepts Boom Card deck (get it here on Boom) is helpful to quickly probe a student's understanding of time order vocabulary to see if it's an area that could use more direct teaching. It could also be used to grow a student's understanding of these concepts.
Additionally, graphic organizers, visual aids (such as a timeline), calendars, clocks, schedules, and first-then or today/tomorrow/yesterday charts may be effective tools for teaching and practicing temporal concepts.
Picture Sequences
Sets of picture cards are a sequencing staple in speech therapy rooms. Students can look through and arrange them in a way that makes sense, then use expressive language to describe each step.
If you find yourself always looking for your sequencing cards (I used to be that co-worker 🙋🏻♀️), consider getting your own digital set. Or maybe you're a teletherapist and need digital sequencing cards. Or it could be that you just can't get enough sequencing cards and you need some fresh ideas!
In any of these cases, Boom Cards are a great solution. With movable pictures on each card, it's just as interactive as your physical sequencing cards... and way more durable! This 4-step sequencing set (get it here on Boom) includes various activities of daily life, such as hygiene routines and chores.
Books and Stories
Books– whether physical, e-books, or video read-alouds– are another effective way to practice sequencing. They contain a beginning, middle, and end which helps students structure and explain the order of the events.
Google Slides works great (especially in teletherapy) for inserting images to arrange. I often take pictures (or screenshots) of the pictures in stories for students to arrange and use to retell.
This speech therapy activity has very short 3-step stories with pictures (get just the digital version on Boom) that students can read or listen to before completing various sequencing activities.
As you can see, these stories are very simple. They are an easy way to target sequencing in speech therapy sessions with early elementary students, since they only take a couple minutes to read compared to actual picture books.
Real Events
For some students, you may want to start very concretely. You can work on sequencing and retelling real-life events that the student experienced. This may be as simple as using a visual schedule (or any other text/images) to talk about their morning routine or class schedule.
Holidays or other special events can also provide a great context for working on sequencing since students may have some shared experiences. This Boom deck (get it here on Boom) contains several Halloween sequences, while this one focuses on making Thanksgiving foods (get it here on Boom).
For older students, you could hone in on some executive functioning skills by using a calendar or planner to sequence the events of their day, week, or month. You could also incorporate job or community living skills by working with ordering the events of real-life activities, such as ordering a pizza or going to a doctor's appointment.
Websites and Videos
Website games and activities can also be used to address sequencing goals.
Step It Out is a PBS Kids game where students arrange the steps of making a sandwich or sandcastle, serve a snack, or get ready for swimming.
You can find a 5-step text sequencing activity at RoomRecess.com.
A short YouTube video could also be a great context for working on sequencing. For example, after watching a video of a person going out for ice cream or doing laundry, talk about each step of that event. As mentioned previously about picture books, you could also use screenshots of Simon's Cat videos or animated shorts for sequencing activities.
Cooking or Crafting
Hands-on activities, such as making a simple recipe or craft, provide great opportunities for students to work on sequencing.
In this example, students use a visual recipe to make popcorn. After reviewing each step, they followed (or will follow) them in the correct order. The visuals also provide a way to address narrative skills by talking through (or writing) the sequence of events.
TIPS FOR TEACHING SEQUENCING
These tips will help you make the most of sequencing activities in speech therapy.
Begin with sequencing concepts. Students must understand words like "first" and "next" before being expected to use them.
Use lots of modeling and examples in your teaching and practicing of sequencing in speech therapy.
Start with simple sequences and increase the complexity as needed.
Utilize visuals (photos, illustrations, or other visual supports) to make the examples more concrete and support students' learning.
Make the sequences relevant and meaningful. A child's or teen's daily routine is a great way to incorporate real-world sequencing examples.
Incorporate narrative language too. Encourage students to talk through the sequences to solidify retelling and other expressive language skills.
Use interactive and hands-on activities that incorporate many different modalities (listening, speaking, watching, moving, etc.).
Sequencing activities are a total game-changer in speech therapy. Their versatility makes them useful for targeting tons of language goals, from following directions to executive functioning. If you're not using them already, try a couple of activities to see the power they hold for engaging students while working on skills.
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