Level 1 • Lesson 51 — Beginning, middle, and end

Objective

Find and talk about the beginning, middle, and end of a short story.

Materials

A short story or page from a picture book
Three sticky notes or small cards labelled “Beginning”, “Middle”, “End”
Pencil ✏️
Paper divided into three boxes: Beginning / Middle / End

Mini-lesson — Three parts of a story

When you read a story, it does not jump all over the place. It usually has three clear parts that go in order.

Think of it like a little trip your story takes:

Beginning — We meet the characters and see where they are. Something starts.
Middle — Something happens. There might be a problem or something the characters need to do.
End — We find out how things finish. The problem is solved or the day is done.

Listen to this tiny story about Sam:

Beginning: “Sam goes to the park with his mom.” (We meet Sam and see the park.)
Middle: “He loses his toy car in the sandbox and looks for it.” (There is a problem.)
End: “Sam finds the car and they go home.” (The story finishes.)

Good readers pay attention to the order. They ask:

“What happens first?” (beginning)
“What happens next?” (middle)
“What happens last?” (end)

Today, you will read a tiny story and say which part is the beginning, which is the middle, and which is the end. Point with your finger and try using the words first, then, and last as you tell it.

Picture strip: Three-part story road

Guided Practice — Mini-book: The Lost Hat

How to use this mini-book:

Read all the pages once.
Go back and label each page: Beginning, Middle, or End.
Tell the story in order using “first, next, last”.

After reading, draw three small pictures on your paper: one for the beginning, one for the middle, and one for the end.

Story words

first next then last beginning middle end

Tip: If you’re not sure, ask: “Did this happen at the start, in the middle, or at the end?”

Mini-Book: The Lost Hat

1

Ben puts on his blue hat.

He and his sister walk to the playground.

This is the beginning. We meet Ben and see where they go.

2

Ben plays on the swings and the slide.

He does not see his hat fall to the ground.

This is part of the middle. Something starts to go wrong.

3

Ben cannot find his hat.

He and his sister look under the bench and by the swings.

This is also the middle. They are trying to fix the problem.

4

A little boy runs over with the blue hat.

“You dropped this,” he says. Ben smiles and puts it on.

This is the end. The problem is solved.

Reading Practice — What part is this?

Read each tiny story sentence. Decide if it belongs in the beginning, middle, or end of a story. Then press “Check answers”.

1) “Max grabs his backpack and walks to the bus stop.”
Which part of a story is this?

2) “A big wind blows Max’s hat off his head and down the street.”
Which part of a story is this?

3) “Max catches his hat and walks home with a big smile.”
Which part of a story is this?

4) “Lia looks under the couch and behind the chair for her toy.”
Which part of a story is this most likely?

5) “A girl named Rosa gets a new puppy.”
Which part of a story is this?

6) “Rosa and her puppy fall asleep together at the end of the day.”
Which part of a story is this?

7) Which is the correct order of story parts?

8) When you tell what happened first, next, and last, what are you doing?

Quick Check (10 questions)

1) What does the beginning of a story usually do?

Tells only the last thing that happens Introduces the characters and setting Shows the title page only

2) What happens in the middle of a story?

Nothing at all Only the characters’ names are given The actions and problem usually happen

3) What does the end of a story usually tell?

How the story finishes What will happen in the next book Only what happened first

4) Story: “Tom wakes up early and packs his backpack.”
Which part is this most likely?

End Beginning Middle

5) Story: “Tom misses the bus and runs down the street to catch it.”
Which part is this?

Beginning End Middle

6) Story: “Tom gets on the bus and sits by his friend with a big smile.”
Which part is this?

End Beginning Middle

7) Which set shows the parts of a story in the right order?

End, beginning, middle Beginning, middle, end Middle, end, beginning

8) To retell a story, you should…

say the parts in any order only talk about one page tell what happened first, next, and last

9) Which question helps you find the beginning of a story?

“What happens first?” “What is my favourite part?” “What is the hardest word?”

10) To practice at home, you can…

read only the last page of stories read a short story and tell someone the beginning, middle, and end skip the parts you don’t like

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Can explain what “beginning, middle, end” mean in a story Can identify beginning, middle, and end in a very short story Can retell a simple story in order (first, next, last) Uses pictures and text to support their answers

Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can tell the beginning, middle, and end of a story 🙂 I need more practice telling the parts 😅 It still feels tricky

I will practice…

Saying what happens first, next, and last Drawing three pictures for a story (beginning, middle, end) Using words like “first”, “then”, “last” when I retell

Lesson 51: Beginning, middle, and end