Be it numbers or entities, enduring arrangement in sequence makes them look organised and serene. Sequencing not only confines to ascending or descending but also to any arrangement that ensures logic. While some master the art of sequencing effortlessly, some may look forward in search of engrossing and befitting sources to learn.
When the learners are adults who often are clear about what they need to learn, they usually look for straightaway means without delay. For that reason, Games and game-based learning can be the best take-in for them. Playing games come with an edge of kinesthetic experience of learning. Acknowledging this scenario, here we look into those games that may assist in ameliorating sequencing skills in any person.
Sequencing – The skill that ensures organization
Sequencing as well comprehends, is the procedure of arranging numbers, letters, or entities in a specific logical order or making them collocated. Since different individuals have varying levels of sequencing abilities, this can be considered as a specific skill.
Haaland[1] studied a group of patients and found that the left hemisphere of the brain was responsible for sequencing. As a few special needs people may have compromised in their left brain, they may need preaching games to improve sequencing skills. Accordingly, here we look at how sequencing skills can turn favorable:
- Enhanced Executive Functioning: Sequencing is a crucial attribute of executive function individuals, as it supports organizations and thereby aids in finer time management.
- A better comprehension of Patterns and surroundings: Everything around often goes as per the sequence. Having knowledge of the same can make the individual grasp the scenario better. For instance, the construction of a building is a sequence of tasks. Consequently, having a glance at the building, an individual can estimate how much time it can take to complete.
- Finer communication: When an individual prepares to orate about a topic, planning a perfect sequence can aid an intriguing performance. Similarly, an author writing a book needs to know appropriate sequences of acts and scenes to take the narrations forward.
Games and activities for building sequencing skills
1. Deck Sequencing
Decks can be befitting manipulative to learn sequencing in all age groups. For adults, the game is evidently complex. Apart from the usual sequence, Deck sequencing for adults can be a cut above. To start with, a pile of decks is mixed well and are placed on the table. Now a sequencing formula is given to the player along with the number of cards to be picked. For instance, an individual will be asked to pick five random cards and arrange them in such a way that the sum of the first two cards gets equal to the sum of the other three cards. The host can set up a time limit for the same to add to the complexity. Apart from practising sequencing, this recreation increases the number sense.
2. Make up a story
Every story has a start, interval, and climax. Comprehending this sequence can let the player win the game. To start with, the host procures a large number of cards with images on them. These images can be of a girl, boy, nature, money, or anything. Now, the anchorman places all these pictures in a bucket and shuffles it well.
The player now comes and grabs 7 random cards from the bucket. They can choose at least four images and put them in such a sequence that these images can form in a short story. This game not only ameliorates sequencing skills but also stipulates the person to be innovative enough to create a story.
3. Sequence Icebreaker
This game can be played as an icebreaker or as a refreshment game in groups, especially in workplaces. To start with, everyone in the place stands in a circle so that everyone can see each other. Each player needs to identify the dress colour of all other players. After a couple of minutes, each player is offered a sheet of paper. Now the person has to write down the name of other players based on their dress colours. For instance, if the game is all about making them in the VIBGYOR sequence, then the player needs to start with a person with a Violet dress and drastically end with a person with a red dress. The player with the appropriate sequence is the winner. Despite being a sequencing game, this recreation also assists in the amplification of social skills, as it ensures interaction in the team.
4. Sequence Stacking
A sequence is not only befitting to arrange entities but also to create a meaningful combination. To start this game, a sentence of around 12 words is considered. Accordingly, the host procures 12 cups to write each word on a cup. Now the cups are shuffled. The player gets the shuffled stack of cups, which they have to sequence in such a way that these form a meaningful sentence. During the game, the player should keep all the cups in the stack as they sequence; further, A time limit of one minute can be added to add complexity. This game may be employed as a party-time recreation or as an icebreaker in offices and colleges.
5. Chronology sequence
While numbers can be arranged in ascending order or descending order, events need to be arranged in chronological order. To start with, the player is offered a set of 10 events in a list. Now this person needs to sequence these events in chronological order to win. This game is often preferred in organizations to test their employees’ grip on the history of the company. Being a sequencing game, it also ensures learning of facts even if the player goes wrong with it, ensuring ameliorate knowledge.
6. Scrabble
Being a well-known letter puzzle game, scrabble is all about the sequencing of letters. To start with, each player is given a set of letter tiles using which they create a sequence (meaningful word). The sequence tends to change with every letter the player adds, ensuring challenges. Another benefit is that the recreation can be played by up to four players at once. Accordingly, it ensures sequencing along with teamwork and better vocabulary.
7. Trip Flow Chart
A certain procedure of a task is often described in a sequence of steps; this forms the base of the game. The trip flow chart is all about planning a round trip to multiple places with the budget given. Say, travel per kilometer costs about $0.1, and the trip needs to be planned to three places. The player arranges the places in such a sequence that forms a successful trip. For instance, the person may plan: California —> Canada —> Ukraine —> China —>California. The sequence in a budget can make the player win the game.
Day-to-day sequencing- Comprehending the pragmatic side!
While we comprehend various games ensuring sequencing skills, knowing how these are applied in real life can make the learners enticed to look forward to it. Accordingly, here we here traverse through such instances:
- Seat numbers in movie theaters and buses are sequential. Further, in some theaters, they are sequentially categorized based on the ticket price. For instance: Ordinary, premium and sofas.
- Episodes of web series ensure a proper sequence to retain the flow of the narration. Consequently, one can go for episode 2 only after completing episode 1.
- A set of Wrenches is arranged sequentially from smallest to largest in the tool kit.
- A pack of crayons or sketch pens come arranged in a perfect VIBGYOR sequence
- Students are arranged in a sequence with their increasing heights and grades in school prayers.
Concluding thoughts
Being one of the crucial attributes of executive functioning, sequencing is often a necessary skill to learn among various grown-ups. While they may look into engrossing methods to grasp, sequencing games can be evidently befitting. Most of these games have multiple benefits and are easy to implement. Explore the above-mentioned game picks to check if any of them can turn out to be the best fit for you.
References:
- Limb-Sequencing Deficits After Left but not Right Hemisphere Damage. (1994, January). Haaland K.Y.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,