Prepositions are words that provide information on how objects are related to the rest of the sentence. “The candy is in the bowl,” explains where the candy is in relation to the bowl. Common prepositions include in, on, next to, in front of, close to, and beside. Between the ages of 24-36 months, grammar becomes more precise in a child’s vocabulary. The first prepositions comprehended arein, on,andunder. By 40 months, children understand the prepositional phrase next to,and at 4 years old, children understand behind, in back of,and in front of.
Below are some games and activities to help your children learn prepositions.
Model:
While playing with your children, model grammatically correct sentences. For example, while playing with an animal farm model, “Look, the cow is inthe barn” or “the cow is besidethe horse”.
Simon Says:
Play a fun game of Simon Says at your local playground. Use phrases such as “Simon says, go underthe slide”, or “Simon says, swing besidethe tree”. Simon says at the playground will keep your kids active while learning prepositions!
Egg Hunt:
Create an Easter egg hunt around the house with your leftover plastic eggs! Every time your child sees an egg, encourage them to use a prepositional phrase, such as “the egg is under the couch” before opening.
Scavenger hunt:
Hide a toy somewhere in the house. Provide clever clues using prepositions to find the hidden object. For older children, make it more challenging by having your children hide the toy and give you clues using prepositional phrases.
Dice game:
Tape prepositions cards onto each side of a dice. Take turns rolling the dice, and demonstrating the preposition with a favorite toy and a chair, doll house, or box. If the dice lands on under, place the toy under the chair.
Books:
Picture books are great tools to explain and demonstrate prepositions. Some of our favorites include:
- Under, Over, By the Clover by Brian P. Cleary
- Around the House the Fox Chased the Mouse by Rick Walton
- If you were a Preposition by Nancy Loewen
Prepositions are the start of our grammar series! Check next week for activities targeting verbs.
LUMIERE THERAPY TEAM🖐️
Resources:
“The Best New Books for Kids Published in 2024. ” The Strategists, https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-kids-books-2024.html?utm_campaign=feed-part&utm_medium=social_acct&utm_source=rss.
“Up, Down, In & Out.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, https://www.pbs.org/video/up-down-in-out-l2nlzn/.
“Parent Narrative.” Handbook of Language and Literacy Development – a Roadmap from 0 to 60 Months, www.theroadmap.ualberta.ca/understandings/parents/37-60.
“Speech and Language Milestones.” About Kids Health , www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/HealthAZ/LearningandEducation/LiteracyandNumeracy/Pages/speech-language-milestones.aspx.
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