I believe you are describing the difficulties associated with the automatic introduction of shortcuts by Google play to the Home Screen. This is indeed dependent on the download order you personally control. The problem you are describing is common to new users of a tablet or smartphone, and indicates the need to become familiar with the techniques of 2 separate applications: Google Play, and the Launcher that controls your Home Screen. On the devices I'm familiar with, there is no automatic resorting function of shortcuts on Launcher screens.
Google Play is the easiest to control, by starting its app and exploring the Settings menu. You probably have enabled "Add icon to Home screen". As apps are downloaded by Google play, their shortcuts are added to the Home screen. As each fills the available space on the grid, additional screens are created to accept new ones. They are maintained in the order the apps are downloaded. You may turn off this setting, or, based on your new understanding, capitalize on this action. I personally have it disabled, and create shortcuts manually, leaving myself a tightly-controlled layout.
These shortcuts can be shifted, deleted, and added manually from the Launcher, which controls the Home Screen. Press and HOLD them and they will follow your drag movement to new spaces, or to the Trash icon to delete them, or carried to other screens by dragging them to the screen margins, and waiting for the screen to shift in until it becomes the active one. It will accept its new location when your finger is removed, indicating it is dropped as to your preference. Some experimentation is acceptable, and the techniques will strengthen within minutes. To add a new shortcut, while on the specific Launcher panel, open the App Drawer, which will open to your alphabetic list of apps. Press and HOLD, and possibly drag, the specific app to create a new shortcut at your desired location.
Find specifics to your device in this User Guide. Chapter 1 clarifies the use of the Home Screen and Recent Apps.