LEARNING STRAND 1 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS (ENGLISH)

MODULE: READING SIMPLE DIRECTIONS AND SEQUENCING OF EVENTS

Competencies:
 Use everyday expressions correctly in appropriate situations: Introductions (e.g., talk about one’s personal  greetings (e.g., How do you do,
How are you, Hi, and Hello)  Leave takings (e.g., Goodbye, May I leave for a while, and May I leave now?)  Expressing gratitude and
apology  Seeking directions (e.g., How Can I get to…)  Offering help (e.g., Can I help you?  Query and clarification (e.g., May I know…) 
Expressing/Asking permission, obligation, and prohibition. LS1CS/EN-S-PSB-BL/LE-1
 Follow a set of oral/ verbal instructions/ directions (2-3 steps) in a process in everyday life situations such as:  following procedures in the
workplace  traveling to a destination  using organic fertilizers/ compost making  selecting inexpensive but nutritious food  following safety
and precautionary measures  protecting the environment LS1CS/EN-L-PSA-LE/JHS-15
 Follow one-to-two step directions LS1CS/EN-S-PSB-BL/LE-5
 Give oral one-to-three- step directions LS1CS/EN-S-PSB-BL/LE/AE-6
 Write in correct sequence the steps/instructions or directions for an activity (e.g., preparing land for planting, following a recipe, arranging
historical events, and implementing a project) LS1CS/EN-W-PSE-AE-9
 Interpret and follow one-to-three-step directions/instructions/notices, rules and regulations related to various household or work activities such
as:  medicine labels and instructions for use  sanitation labels (waste management/ segregation)  recipes  preparation and use of
fertilizers, pesticides, and animal feeds  health and sanitation requirements on food handling and preservation  doctor’s prescription
LS1CS/EN-R-PSD-LE/JHS-23
 Sequence a series of events/ at least 3 events using signal words/ mentioned in the text listened to LS1CS/EN-L-PSA-BL/LE/AE/JHS-3
 Sequence events based on materials viewed LS1CS/EN-V-PSC-JHS-16
 Identify the basic sequence of events and make relevant predictions about stories LS1CS/EN-R-PSD-LE-12
 Sequence steps in stories read or events in written materials (e.g., preparing land for planting, following a recipe, arranging historical events,
and in implementing a project) LS1CS/EN-R-PSD-LE/JHS-19

LESSON 1
READING SIMPLE DIRECTIONS
Following directions is an important reading skill because assembling items, cooking, going on a journey,
and many other tasks require that you follow steps exactly to achieve the desired result. Making one
mistake could lead to disastrous consequences. How do you avoid such a dilemma and ensure that you
are doing your best to follow directions correctly?
How to follow instructions better:
1. Ask for directions more often and ask specific questions about those directions. Make sure
you fully understand the project and all the details of what you’re being asked to do.
2. Get context for the task you need to do. Understanding the reason behind certain projects or
tasks will help you make greater sense of what needs to be done.
3. Understand your own learning style. Experts have identified seven different learning
styles: Visual, auditory, verbal, physical, logical, social and solitary. In my case, I know I’m not a
visual learner (those damn IKEA instructions!) and instead I’m much more comfortable with verbal
and logical instructions. When I get instructions, I make sure they match a style I feel comfortable
with. 
4. Look for distraction triggers. If you know you’re at risk of going down the Twitter or Instagram
rabbit-hole at any time then, for goodness sake, turn off social media while you’re getting or
following directions. In fact, turn off your phone entirely. 
5. Visualize yourself getting the task done. As you’re starting to follow a set of instructions, visualize
yourself finishing them and, along the way, ask yourself questions like, “when will I be half-done
here?” This kind of orientation will help keep you on track.
6. Talk to yourself. Giving yourself a pep-talk will not only help you follow directions better, it’ll also
help you stay focused on the task at hand. 
7. Practice by giving instructions to others. Teaching something is a great way to learn it. You’ll
start to recognize tricks and techniques you can use to help yourself. 

 How to give better instructions 

1. Give directions in a helpful, non-aggressive way. Put yourself in the shoes of people who will be
receiving your directions and figure out in advance what it is they need to know. Be cheerful and
friendly, not dictatorial. Invite plenty of questions.
2. Be specific, not vague. If something needs to be done in a specific way then tell people that for
goodness’ sake! Don’t ever expect others to read your mind. 
3. Give context for the task you need done. Understanding the reason behind certain projects or
tasks will help your employees/subordinates make greater sense of what needs to be done.
 4. Make allowances for different learning styles. Experts have identified seven different learning
styles: Visual, auditory, verbal, physical, logical, social and solitary. Make sure you understand the
learning needs of the people on your team and provide them instructions in a manner that’s going to
best suit them. 
5. Don’t micromanage. It’s often tempting to think that everything should be done exactly the
way you would have done it yourself. Instead, understand that people will respond best if they have
room to use their own preferred styles and methods. And, hard as it may be, you also need to leave
them room to fail from time to time.

LESSON 2
SEQUENCING OF EVENTS
Sequencing refers to the identification of the components of a story – the beginning, middle, and end –
and also the ability to retell the events within a given text in the order in which they occurred. The ability to
sequence events in a text is a key comprehension strategy, especially for narrative text.

These are some words usually found in the sequence of events:

In writing:

In math: Some ordinal numbers are used in sequencing such as: first, second, third, fourth and etc.

Types of Sequencing:
1. picture/photo sequencing
2. letter/number sequencing
3. story sequencing
4. Map/route sequencing
5. Cooking/kitchen steps
6. Music and dance

There are multiple reasons why sequencing of events is an important comprehension

strategy.  
1. Sequencing structures help students with different abilities organize information and ideas
efficiently. It is an important component of problem-solving across the curriculum, including science
and social studies.
2. Sequencing also assists with comprehension (Reading Rockets, 2015).  If students are encouraged
to identify parts of a story, they will better be able to tell or retell someone else what happened in
the story. Rather than retelling in one big chunk students can think of it in pieces-- beginning,
middle, and end.
3. Through sequencing activities students are provided with the opportunity to examine the text and
story structure, which, in turn, strengthens their writing skills (Teacher Vision, 2015). 
The following would help you hone your sequencing skills

1. Reading-Students can sharpen their sequencing skills as they read independently, participate in
small group reading activities, or listen to you read a story.

2. Writing- Sequencing is an important skill in writing. One way for students to plan their writing is by
creating an outline or a graphic organizer before beginning a piece. This provides opportunities for
students to think about the sequence of events in a story they wish to tell or the most logical
sequence in which to provide information in a nonfiction piece.

3. Math-Math provides many opportunities for students to think about a process for solving a given
type of problem. This process can be thought of as a sequence of steps. Students can list the steps
of a process, such as finding a common denominator for a pair of fractions, and work with partners
to follow those steps while solving applicable problems.

4. Social Studies-As students’ study history, they are often asked to keep track of series of events.
Sequencing is a critical skill for this type of learning. Students can practice this skill by creating
timelines showing the order of events. Students who are not yet involved in the study of historical
events can still practice their sequencing skills by creating personal timelines, illustrating the course
of their own lives.

5. Science-Science experiments provide a great opportunity for honing sequencing skills. Not only can
students practice following a sequence of steps to investigate a particular concept but many
experiments provide a dramatic way for students to try to take a set of mixed-up instructions and put
them in a logical sequence.