Before or After Worksheets
About These 15 Worksheets
These sheets can be used to help children understand the concepts of sequence and chronology – basically, the order in which things happen.
For example, a “Before” and “After” worksheet might show a sequence of pictures telling a simple story or describing an event. The child would be asked to put the pictures in the correct order based on the story or event. Or, they might be given a number and asked to write down the number that comes just before or just after it.
These worksheets help children develop a sense of time and sequence, and they’re important for building math and reading comprehension skills. Think of it like learning to play a new video game or a sport. At first, you have to learn the basic rules and understand the sequence of play. It’s similar with learning sequences in real life or in math – “Before” and “After” worksheets help kids to understand these basic ‘rules’.
Before or After: What’s the Difference?
“Before” and “after” are time-related terms used to describe the order of events, relative to each other.
“Before” is used when referring to a time or event that happened earlier than the point of reference. It indicates that something happened in the past relative to another event. For example, in the sentence “I eat breakfast before I go to work,” the action of eating breakfast happens first, followed by going to work.
“After”, on the other hand, is used when referring to a time or event that happened later than the point of reference. It indicates that something happened in the future relative to another event. For example, in the sentence “I will go to the gym after work,” the action of going to the gym happens later, following the action of work.
To put it simply, “before” indicates a preceding event, while “after” indicates a succeeding or following event. Both of these terms help us understand the sequence of events.
How To Teach This Concept
Here are some strategies and activities that you can use:
1. Story Telling – Start with a simple story with a clear sequence of events. As you narrate the story, emphasize the events that happened ‘before’ and ‘after’.
2. Daily Routines – Use their daily routines to explain the concept. For example, you brush your teeth before you go to bed or you put on your shoes after you put on your clothes.
3. Picture Sequencing – Use picture cards to illustrate a sequence of events. Then, mix up the cards and help them arrange the cards in the right order. Ask them to identify what happens before and after each event.
4. Number Sequencing – Start with simple number sequencing. Ask them what number comes before or after a certain number.
5. Interactive Games – Games such as ‘Simon Says’ can be adapted to this concept. For example, “Simon says, touch your nose and then your toes”, emphasizing the words before and after.
6. Worksheets – Use the worksheets, above, which require students to identify what comes before or after a certain letter, number, or picture.
7. Songs and Rhymes – There are many songs and nursery rhymes that can help children understand the concept of before and after, like “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”, which has a clear sequence of events.