Grade by Grade
Strand A: Foundations of Language and Mathematics · Patterns, Shapes, Measuring and Sorting

Where Is It? Position, Direction and Views

A9.6 A9.7About 20 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can use words like on, under, beside, between, in front of and behind.
  • I can follow directions like forward, backward, turn, left and right.
  • I can give directions to someone else.
  • I can tell how something looks from the top and from the side.

Words to know

on, under
On means on top of. Under means below something.
beside, between
Beside means next to. Between means in the middle of two things.
in front of, behind
In front of means at the front of something. Behind means at the back.
above, below
Above means higher up. Below means lower down.
forward, backward
Forward means the way you are facing. Backward means the other way.
left, right
The two sides of your body. Your left hand makes an L with its thumb and pointer finger.
flip, slide, turn
Ways to move a thing: flip it over, slide it along, or turn it around.
from the top, from the side
Different places to look from. Things can look different from each place.

Where is Teddy?

Grown-up, read this out loud and use a stuffed toy.

Teddy loves to hide! Put Teddy on the chair. Now put Teddy under the chair. Now put Teddy beside the chair.

These are position words. They tell us where something is.

A brown teddy bear sitting on the floor under a wooden kitchen chair.
Where is Teddy? Teddy is under the chair! AI-generated image
ball ON the tableball UNDERbox BESIDE
A ball on the table, a ball under the table, and a box beside the table.
Position wordsOpposites
onunder (or off)
in front ofbehind
abovebelow
insideoutside
updown
forwardbackward
Position words come in pairs. Act each one out!
Worked example

Let's play Teddy hide-and-seek

Put Teddy between two pillows. Then put Teddy behind your back.

  1. Find two pillows. Put them a little apart.
  2. Put Teddy in the middle. Teddy is between the pillows.
  3. Now hold Teddy at your back where you cannot see. Teddy is behind you.

Between means in the middle. Behind means at the back.

Which way is left?

Hold up both hands with your fingers up and your thumbs out. The hand that makes a capital L is your left hand!

Left and right are tricky for many children. Practise a little every day.

From the top, from the side

Things can look different when you look from a different place.

Look at a can from the side. It looks like a rectangle. Now look down at it from the top. It looks like a circle!

a canfrom the sidefrom the top
The same can looks like a rectangle from the side and a circle from the top.
Worked example

Let's look from different places

Put a cup on the table. Look at it from the top, then from the side.

  1. Stand up and look down at the cup from the top. You see a circle (the rim). You might see inside the cup!
  2. Now crouch down so your eyes are level with the table. Look at the cup from the side. You see the side of the cup and maybe the handle.
  3. Ask: "Can you see inside the cup from the side?" No!

The cup looks different from the top and from the side. Where you look from changes what you see.

Flip, slide, turn

We can move things in different ways:

  • Flip it over, like a pancake.
  • Slide it along, like pushing a book across a table.
  • Turn it around, like turning a key or a lid.
FlipSlideTurn
The same shape moved 3 ways. Flip it over like a pancake, slide it along, or turn it around like a key.
Hands-on activity

Treasure hunt

  1. Hide a small toy while your child covers their eyes.
  2. Give directions: "Walk forward 4 steps. Turn toward the couch. Look under the cushion."
  3. Switch! Your child hides the toy and gives you directions.

Bonus: make an obstacle course and say the words as you go: over the pillow, under the table, around the chair, between the two boxes.

Just for fun

Riddle: What goes up and down but never moves?

The stairs!

Your turn

1

Put a toy on a chair.

2

Now put the toy under the chair.

3

Stand between two chairs (or two people).

4

Follow these directions: walk forward 3 steps, then turn toward the window.

5

What is above you right now?

6

What is the opposite of in front of?

More practice: warm-up

1

What is the opposite of inside?

2

What is the opposite of above?

3

Put your hands above your head.

4

Put your hands behind your back.

5

What is the opposite of forward?

More practice: on your own

1

Look at a can from the top. What shape do you see? Now look from the side.

2

Tell a grown-up how to get from your bed to your bedroom door.

3

You flip a pancake in a pan. Is that a flip, a slide or a turn?

4

You push a toy car straight across the floor. Is that a flip, a slide or a turn?

5

Show your left hand. Show your right foot.

Challenge

1

A ball looks like a circle from the top. What does it look like from the side?

2

Hide a toy and give 3 directions so a grown-up can find it.

3

Put a chair between you and a table.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

The ball is under the table. Where is it?

2.

What is the opposite of in front of?

3.

Teddy is in the middle of two pillows. Teddy is ...

4.

You turn a pancake over in the pan. That is a ...

5.

You look down at a can from the top. What shape do you see?

For parents and teachers

What this is about: Children learn the words for where things are (on, under, beside, between, in front of, behind, above, below) and how things move (forward, backward, turn, flip, slide). They give and follow directions to get from place to place, and notice that things look different from the top and from the side.

How to help at home:

  • Use position words all day: "Your boots are beside the door." "Put the cup on the table."
  • Play Simon Says and treasure hunts. Look at toys from the top, the side and underneath.
  • Let your child give you directions, and follow them exactly, even when they are wrong. Then fix them together. It is great fun!

Common difficulties:

  • Left and right take years to master. Most Kindergarten children are still learning. Use the L trick, but do not worry if they mix them up.
  • Between and beside are often confused. Practise with toys.
  • When facing your child, your left is on their right. Stand beside them, facing the same way, when practising left and right.