No portion of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including photocopying, or by any means electronic or mechanical, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review as permitted by law, without the express permission of the publisher and/or the copyright holder(s). Reproduction for sale or resale, or for any other commercial purpose, is expressly prohibited except for permissions granted under specific written licenses, in any, jointly issued by the copyright holders.


Thank you for choosing this Reading Champs Instructional Handbook (this publication). The information contained within this and other publications within this series is intended to provide a schema for sequential development of the basic skills necessary to succeed in learning to read--at any age. Each individual handbook presents a highly-focused view on a specific topic.

With that being said, let us state clearly that this publication is copyrighted under U.S. Title 17 and ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. This means you may not copy this publication, or any part thereof, for any reason other than to print ONE authorized copy for your personal use. You may not sell or give away a copy of this publication. Further, you are hereby noticed that anyone violating the terms of this Copyright and Notice is in violation of United States Federal Statutes and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, investment, or other licensed or regulated professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is desired, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The information in this book is intended only for educational purposes.

Organizing Ideas: Sequencing
Reading Comprehension

     As a fundamental comprehension skill, it is important that readers recognize and recall the sequence or order in which ideas are written. A sequential pattern may actually be developed as chronological, spatial, or expository. Look carefully as an author frequently uses a combination of these patterns.

       Chronological sequence simply means that events are organized from beginning to end; from the oldest event to the most recent. One variation within this category is the flashback, where the story begins with a picture of the outcome, and then goes back to tell the story from the beginning. One of the most graphic uses of this form is seen in the motion picture "Saving Private Ryan." And in the Star Wars series, the reader (or viewer) moves non-sequentially through a group of six sequentially organized articles.

       A spatial sequence might be centered on a specific place and/or time but is told from viewpoints in the same time frame. Another term often used for this sequencing is, "Where Were You When ..." and refers to events happening at the same time but in different physical locations.

       Expository is not defined by time or space but rather by facts or ideas. This generally is seen as cause and effect. One perfect example of this kind of writing is seen in the television series "Connections," which can be seen as re-runs from time to time on the book of the same name by historian James Burke.

CSML-044 / 090622