Understand the idea.
What happens first?
A sequence puts events in order. Use first, next and last to tell someone what happens. Follow the picture's arrows: breakfast comes first, school comes next and dinner comes last in this sequence.
An event can be between two others in time. School happens after breakfast and before dinner in the picture. Say the event names so someone else can follow the order you mean.
Tell the order clearly
Before means earlier and after means later. If washing comes before drying, you wash first and dry later. Think about what needs to happen before the next action can work.
Use the story or routine you are given. Not every family does things in the same order. A clear sequence explains this particular set of events without assuming that everybody's day is alike.
See the method in action.
Order a day
What happens between breakfast and dinner in the picture?
Worked solution
- 1
Start at breakfast in the picture.
Breakfast is the first of the three pictured events.
- 2
Follow the arrow to the next event.
School comes after breakfast and before dinner.
- 3
Name the event between them.
School has one of the named events before it and the other after it.
School.
Wash your hands
Order these actions: dry hands; wash hands; turn on the tap.
Worked solution
- 1
Choose the action needed first.
Turn on the tap so there is water for washing.
- 2
Put washing next.
Hands need to be washed before they are dried.
- 3
Put drying last.
The order is turn on the tap, wash hands, then dry hands.
Turn on the tap, wash hands, dry hands.
Try it yourself.
Check your understanding
Lunch is after morning play and before home time. Which is last?
Show answer & reasoning
Home time.
Home time is last. The story orders the events as morning play, then lunch, then home time.
Keep practising
6 worksheet questions
Read the questions online
- Which event is first in the picture?
- Is dinner before or after school in the picture?
- Order these: put on shoes; put on socks.
- First plant a seed, next water it, later a shoot grows. What happens next after planting?
- Mia brushes her teeth after breakfast. Which event is earlier?
- Draw three events from your day. Label them first, next and last.
Read the worked solutions
- Which event is first in the picture?
It is at the start of the sequence.
Breakfast. - Is dinner before or after school in the picture?
Follow the arrow from school to dinner.
After school. - Order these: put on shoes; put on socks.
The socks go inside the shoes.
Put on socks, then put on shoes. - First plant a seed, next water it, later a shoot grows. What happens next after planting?
Read the action following first.
Water the seed. - Mia brushes her teeth after breakfast. Which event is earlier?
Brushing happens later.
Breakfast. - Draw three events from your day. Label them first, next and last.
Check each time word shows the order.
Answers vary: three sensible events are correctly ordered.
Curriculum reference & lesson scope
Australian Curriculum v9 / SA Curriculum 2026
Year 1 sequencing familiar events and describing duration; months in order. No clock-reading assessment.
Official curriculum source ↗