Every bedtime story has a rhythm, and children feel it long before they can name it. At Sunny Days Children’s Academy, we focus on building strong early literacy skills through engaging, hands-on learning experiences. One important skill young children develop in preschool is understanding how stories work, including the ability to recognize the beginning, middle, and end of a story.
Learning With a Familiar Story
In this activity in our Pre-K classroom, children are introduced to story sequencing using the familiar tale The Three Little Pigs. Through read-alouds, visuals, discussion, and hands-on practice, they learn that events in a story happen in a specific order.
Connecting to the Story
The lesson begins with a fun question and discussion about building things and what can happen when things do not go as planned. This helps children connect personally to the story and prepares them for what they are about to hear.
Beginning, Middle, and End
As the story is read and shown on screen, children are guided to identify the key parts of the story:
- Beginning: the pigs build their houses.
- Middle: the wolf tries to blow the houses down.
- End: the pigs are safe in the brick house.
Hands-On Sequencing Practice
Next, children work together using picture cards to retell and sequence the story events in the correct order. This interactive activity encourages teamwork, communication, and critical thinking.
To extend the learning, children complete their own sequencing activity, drawing or coloring the beginning, middle, and end of a simple story. This lets them show what they understand in a creative, developmentally appropriate way.
Why Sequencing Matters for Kindergarten
By the end of the lesson, children recognize that all stories have an order and can begin to retell events using sequencing words like “first,” “next,” and “last.” That might sound small, but it’s a big step. Retelling a story in order is one of the first ways children show they truly understand what they hear, and it lays a strong foundation for reading comprehension and, later, for writing their own stories.
Sequencing also shows up all day long: following the steps of washing hands, lining up for the playground, or remembering what comes after lunch. Our Pre-K teachers weave these skills into everyday routines so children head to kindergarten confident and ready. Younger friends get a head start, too: storytelling and read-alouds are part of every day in our Preschool 2 room for 3- to 4-year-olds.
At Sunny Days, we believe that when children learn through stories, visuals, and play, they build confidence and a lifelong love for reading.
Try It at Home
- After a bedtime story, ask, “What happened first? What happened next? How did it end?”
- Snap three photos while you bake or build something together, then let your child put them in order.
- Talk through your morning routine using “first,” “next,” and “last.”
- Let your child “read” a favorite picture book to you by retelling it from the pictures.
Related Reading
- Learning About Feelings Through Play and Conversation (featuring The Way I Feel)
- A Peek Inside Our Pre-K Classroom
- Free Pre-K or Sunny Days? What Cherry Hill Working Parents Should Know
Come See Our Classrooms in Person
Reading about a classroom is nice, but nothing beats seeing it. Tours take about 15–30 minutes, and it’s a great chance to meet our teachers, see the room your child would join, and ask anything on your mind. Schedule a tour or call (856) 320-2001, and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
We offer part-time, half-day, and full-day schedule options, and we accept New Jersey child care subsidy. Ask us about them on your tour.
Have questions before you visit? Our frequently asked questions page covers hours, meals, and daily updates, and our About Us page tells you more about who we are.
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