In, on, under, behind, near, opposite, beside, beneath, inside, outside… Prepositions are function words. They have two main functions, connect the noun to the rest of the sentence and specify the position of the noun. Simple enough, right? Maybe not if you are little and just being introduced to the complicated world of grammar and all of the crazy rules that go with it.
Image courtesy of The U.S. Army at flickr.com (scaled and text added)
So how do you teach this is in a way that doesn’t cause kids to zone out and ignore what you are saying? I have a few fun ideas that will grab the attention of your students and allow them to have a little fun along the way.
What kid doesn’t love a little game of Hide and Seek? Why not turn it into an educational game? Hide an object in the classroom or around the house. Have the student guess where it is using prepositions of location (is it above the chalkboard). The questions continue until the object is found. Once the object is found the student who found the object can then hide it and be the one to answer the questions.
Want to get them thinking and make them laugh a little? Take a Wacky Photo of Several Misplaced Items. You could use your classroom or something that is familiar to them so that they know the items are out of place and where they should be. Have the students use prepositions of location to describe what is wrong with the picture. You could expand on this and have them write sentences to describe what is wrong with the picture.
Getting kids up and moving is a great way to keep them engaged and learning. Create an Obstacle Course for your students. The catch is the must go through using the written directions you have provided (First go behind the chair). The students can work in pairs one will read and one will complete the course.
Art is a great way to grab the attention of your students. Have your student draw a picture using a set of written directions with prepositions of location (The tree is on the far left side of the park. The slide is on the opposite side.). Then see if the final picture matches what the teacher used to write the directions. Challenge the students to write their own directions for a friend to complete.
Create a Treasure Map using prepositions of location. The students will locate the treasure by using the preposition clues provided.
Play a game of Teacher Says using prepositions. This one is loads of fun and is another one that gets them moving. This is similar to Simon Says. The teacher will give a list of commands using prepositions of location and the phrase teacher says (Teacher says put you hand under your chin). If the phrase teacher says is not used and the child moves they are out. The last child standing wins.
What fun ways have you been teaching prepositions? Please share your ideas below. I would love to have some new tricks up my sleeve!
Image courtesy of 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command at flickr.com (scaled and text added)
Great tips! Children are smart, they learn fast and get bored fast as well. These suggestions can come in very handy.
I love the obstacle course idea and my kids would too! These are great. We are actually learning about prepositions right now too. Very timely.
These are fun ways to teach the kids. I am bookmarking this for my granddaughters.
So many great ideas! I love the obstacle course-it sounds like so much fun!
When my kids were in Gymboree, they set up those obstacle course type things to help with those types of prepositions. It worked great!