1st grade narrative sequencing words worksheets
First graders choose the order word each story moment needs, W.1.3's temporal words: first, next, then, finally, in stories they can picture.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core W.1.3.
A new sheet every click.
The kind of sentences you'll fix
Choose the order word that fits the story's moment, and write it on the line.
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(First / Last / Then), write your name at the top.
Fixed: First, write your name at the top.
- (Finally / First / Later), the hen builds her nest. Then she lays her eggs.
- We picked teams. (Finally / First / Next), we spread out across the yard.
Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Fix it. Choose the order word that fits the story's moment, and write it on the line. 6 sentences to fix per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
Retell any routine with the words: first we get bowls, next the cereal, then the milk, finally the spoon. Breakfast is a narrative; narrate it daily for a week and the words install themselves.
Watch for: The words have positions: first opens, finally closes, and next/then/after-that carry the middle. A finally in the middle promises an ending that doesn't come. Time words do real work: without them, steps shuffle. Kids hear this instantly when a recipe is read with its order words removed.
Common questions about narrative sequencing words
- Why do order words matter?
- They keep events in line for the reader. W.1.3 asks first graders to signal event order, and first/next/then/finally are the training wheels that actually steer.
- How do kids choose between them?
- Position: openings take first, endings take finally, middles take next and then. The story's location in its journey picks the word.
Related worksheets
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Aligned to Common Core W.1.3. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 175, updated August 2026.
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