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 sentences around the blank show where the story is, so read them before choosing.

1st grade narrative sequencing words

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.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll fix

Choose the order word that fits the story's moment, and write it on the line.

We wrote the thank-you notes. (Afterward / Before / Last week), we walked them to the mailbox.
Fixed: We wrote the thank-you notes. Afterward, we walked them to the mailbox.
We mixed the batter. (Before / First / Then), we poured it in the pan.
The cat stretched. (Before / First / Then), she found her sunny spot.

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 1st grade sheet

1st grade sheets draw from 40 sentences, 6 to a page. 1st to 3rd grade print from the same 40 sentences. What changes is the standard (W.1.3 here) and the teaching notes below. 2nd grade sheets print 7 to a page.

A few of the sentences, as the answer key corrects them:

The tadpoles grew legs. Soon, they hopped onto the rocks.
First, the hen builds her nest. Then she lays her eggs.
The leaves turned red. Soon after, they began to fall.

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 1st grade 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 sentences around the blank show where the story is, so read them before choosing.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core W.1.3. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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