Tale Trackers Slides Kindergarten Reading Adventure
Indiana Standard K.RL.2.2
All Aboard the Story Train!
Tale Trackers
Let’s discover the Beginning, Middle, and End of every story!
1. Engine
Beginning
2. Passenger Car
Middle
3. Caboose
End
Reading Concept
Every Story Has 3 Important Parts!
Follow the Track
FIRST • BEGINNING
The Engine Starts!
We meet the characters and find out where the story takes place.
NEXT • MIDDLE
The Journey Moves!
The main events happen. A problem appears or an adventure unfolds.
LAST • END
The Caboose Arrives!
The story wraps up. The problem gets solved and the trip is complete.
Clue Words to Listen For: First ... Next ... Last / At the end !
Story Time Read-Aloud
Pip and the Tiny Seed
Listen for what happens 1st, 2nd, and 3rd!
1
First, Pip the puppy dug a small hole in the warm garden dirt and pushed a tiny striped seed into the ground.
2
Next, gentle rain fell from the sky and bright sun warmed the soil. Soon, a little green sprout peeked out!
3
Last, the sprout grew taller and taller until a giant, smiling yellow sunflower bloomed for Pip to see!
Can you picture the 3 train cars in your mind? Let's check!
Step-by-Step Model
Pip's Story on the Train Tracks
All 3 Cars in Order!
BEGINNING # 1
🌱 🐾
Pip Plants the Seed
Pip digs a hole and tucks the seed safely into the warm dirt.
MIDDLE # 2
🌧️ ☀️ 🌿
Rain & Little Sprout
Water and warm sunlight help the green sprout start growing.
END # 3
🌻 🐶 🎉
Big Bright Sunflower!
A giant yellow sunflower blooms and Pip wags his tail with joy!
Teacher Check: "What would happen if the sunflower bloomed before Pip planted the seed?"
Stories have to go in order!
Interactive Practice
Which Picture Goes First?
Choral Challenge
Story: "Making a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich"
Look at the mixed-up cards. Point your finger to the BEGINNING!
Card A
🥪 😋
Take a big bite!
Is this the END?
Card B
🍞 🍞
Get two bread slices.
Is this the BEGINNING?
Card C
🥜 🍇 🥄
Spread PB and jelly.
Is this the MIDDLE?
Correct Order: 1st: Card B (Bread) 2nd: Card C (Spread) 3rd: Card A (Bite!)
Ready for Independent Work
You Are Official Tale Trackers!
Hands-On Activity Time
STEP 1
Cut Neatly
Snip out your 3 story picture cards along the dotted lines.
STEP 2
Order First
Place cards on your Story Train mat before gluing. Check with your friend!
STEP 3
Glue & Tell
Glue your cars in place and whisper-retell your story: First, Next, Last!
Choo-Choo! Let’s build our story trains! 🚂 🌟
Tale Trackers Sequencing Cards Story Train Sorting Mat
Place your story picture cards in order: Beginning, Middle, and End!
Hands-On Sorting Mat
Car 1 • Engine BEGINNING (First)
The story starts here!
Place Card 1 Here Who is in the story? What happens first?
Car 2 • Passenger Car MIDDLE (Next)
The action happens!
Place Card 2 Here What does the character do next?
Car 3 • Caboose END (Last)
The finish line!
Place Card 3 Here How does the story finish and wrap up?
Oral Retell Frame:
"First, [Car 1]. Next, [Car 2]. Last, [Car 3]!"
Story Sequence Cut-Apart Cards
Cut out each set of cards along the dotted lines. Mix them up, then sort!
2 Practice Story Sets
Set A: Pip's Little Seed Cut along dashed borders ✂️
Card A1
🌱 🐾
Pip Plants a Seed
Pip digs a hole in the dirt and drops in a seed.
Set A • Card 1
Card A2
🌧️ ☀️ 🌿
Sprout Grows Up
Rain and sun help a little green sprout grow.
Set A • Card 2
Card A3
🌻 🐶 ✨
Giant Sunflower Blooms
A tall, bright yellow sunflower blooms with joy!
Set A • Card 3
Set B: Barnaby Bear's Boat Cut along dashed borders ✂️
Card B1
🐻 📄 ✂️
Folds a Paper Boat
Barnaby Bear folds a crisp red paper boat.
Set B • Card 1
Card B2
⛵ 💧 🍃
Sails in the Puddle
The little boat glides across a rain puddle.
Set B • Card 2
Card B3
🐸 💦 😃
Frog Hops In!
A silly green frog leaps in with a big splash!
Set B • Card 3
Bonus Word Labels (Cut and place above cards): ✂️ 3 Vocabulary Badges
FIRST • BEGINNING
NEXT • MIDDLE
LAST • END
Tale Trackers Worksheet Tale Trackers Story Train
Beginning • Middle • End Cut & Paste
Indiana Standard K.RL.2.2
Name:
Date:
1. Cut the tiles below • 2. Put in order • 3. Glue onto the train cars!
Story Train: Glue Each Part Where It Belongs
1. Engine BEGINNING
GLUE CARD 1 HERE (What happens first?)
First: Pip planted a .
2. Car MIDDLE
GLUE CARD 2 HERE (What happens next?)
Next: A green grew.
3. Caboose END
GLUE CARD 3 HERE (How does it end?)
Last: A giant bloomed.
CUT HERE • SNIP THE 3 CARDS BELOW AND SORT
Tile A
🌻 🐶 ✨
Big Yellow Flower
A tall, bright sunflower bloomed for Pip to see!
✂️ Cut & Glue
Tile B
🌱 🐾 🕳️
Plants the Seed
Pip dug a hole in dirt and dropped in a tiny seed.
✂️ Cut & Glue
Tile C
🌧️ ☀️ 🌿
Sprout Grows Up
Rain fell, sun shone, and a tiny green sprout popped up!
✂️ Cut & Glue
My Story Retell Checklist:
Beginning (1st)
Middle (2nd)
End (3rd)
Retold to friend!
Tale Trackers Teacher Guide Educator Lesson Plan & Facilitation Guide
Tale Trackers: Story Sequencing
Grade: Kindergarten
Indiana Academic Standards (IAS) Alignment
IAS K.RL.2.2: With prompting and support, identify the beginning, middle, and end of a familiar story.
IAS K.RL.2.1: With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
Learning Target: "I can tell what happens First (Beginning), Next (Middle), and Last (End) in a story."
Instructional Pacing & Teacher Script Prompts
8 Min
1. Hook & Metaphor (Slides 1–2)
Introduce the Story Train. "A train can’t run backwards! The Engine is the Beginning, the Passenger Car is the Middle, and the Caboose is the End." Teach clapping hand-motions for First, Next, Last.
10 Min
2. Modeled Read-Aloud & Choral Check (Slides 3–5)
Read "Pip's Little Seed" with expressive phrasing. Pause after each event to ask: "Did Pip start with the flower or the seed? Why does the seed come first?" Practice Slide 5 PB&J sandwich sequence as a class.
10 Min
3. Partner Sorting Mat Activity (Sequencing Cards)
Distribute the Story Train Sorting Mats and Card Sets. Partners place cards on the Engine, Passenger Car, and Caboose before gluing. Prompt students to use the sentence frame: "First..., Next..., Last...!"
10 Min
4. Independent Cut & Paste (Worksheet)
Students independently cut out Tiles A, B, and C, sort them onto the worksheet cars, glue them in place, and whisper-retell to their table partner before checking their self-evaluation rubric.
Formative Questioning Stems
Beginning Prompt: "Who is our story about? What happened at the very start before anything else?"
Middle Prompt: "What did Pip wait for? What changed when the rain and sun arrived?"
End Prompt: "How did Pip feel at the end? How do we know the story is all done?"
Answer Key & Teacher Reference
Master Keys & Differentiation
Teacher Reference Only
Worksheet Solution: "Pip's Little Seed" Correct Cut-and-Paste Order
1. ENGINE • BEGINNING
Match: Tile B
🌱 🐾
"Pip plants a seed."
Fill-in: seed
2. CAR • MIDDLE
Match: Tile C
🌧️ ☀️ 🌿
"Sprout grows up."
Fill-in: sprout
3. CABOOSE • END
