Make a Sequence Sandwich!

What You Do:

Step 1 From your pantry, gather all the components needed for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; bread, peanut butter, jelly, knife, and plate. Step 2 Tell your child that you are going to read him the directions for making a sandwich, but that they will be all mixed up. He will have to write them down and decipher them! Here's the mixed up sequence to dictate out loud:

• Dip the knife into the jelly jar.
• Eat.
• Close the sandwich.
• Dip the knife into the peanut butter jar.
• Put them on a plate.
• Spread the jelly on one slice of bread.
• Get out a plate and butter knife and put them on the counter.
• Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread.
• Get out the jelly and peanut butter jars and put them on the counter.
• Pick up a butter knife with your right hand.
• Put away the jelly and peanut butter.
• Take two slices of bread out of the bread bag.

Step 3 After your child has written the mixed up sequence down, have him rearrange the order so that it makes sense. Now it's your turn to get dictated to.

Step 4 Your child should tell you, in precise order, how to make the sandwich, step by step. As they talk (ask them to go slowly) begin to build the sandwich. You can only do exactly what they say. If your child says, “put the peanut butter on the bread,” pick up the closed peanut butter jar and try to shake it on the closed bread bag. It may sound silly but it demonstrates that the proper order is necessary for you to understand. Your child must start from the beginning with lots of detail.

Here's the key to what the rearranged sequence should look like (some things, like whether peanut butter goes before jelly, are negotiable):

• Get out the jelly and peanut butter jars and put them on the counter.
• Get out a plate and butter knife and put them on the counter.
• Take two slices of bread out of the bread bag.
• Put them on a plate.
• Pick up a butter knife with your right hand
• Dip the knife into the peanut butter jar
• Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread.
• Dip the knife into the jelly jar
• Spread the jelly on one slice of bread.
• Close the sandwich.
• Put away the jelly and peanut butter.
• Eat.

Point out to your child that this order and sequence is necessary when writing. Readers will not understand and follow a paper without it. This simple and yummy experiment allows your child see and taste sequence! Enjoy.