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Concepts

Prepositions

Words that tell you where something is.

Mastered by
ASHA places inside, on and under in the 3-to-4-year band, and behind, beside and between in the 4-to-5-year band
Practice items
38
Sections
4

What this skill is

Prepositions are small words that carry a lot of weight - they tell you where something is, when it happened, or how it relates to something else. Spatial prepositions come first and in a fairly predictable order. "In" and "on" are early because containers and surfaces are concrete. "Between" and "in front of" come much later because they require holding two reference points in mind at once.

What to expect

By 2;6 most children understand "in" and "on" even if they cannot say them. By 3;6 add "under," "out of," and "off." Around 4;6 come "behind," "in front of," "next to," and "between." "Above," "below," "around," and "through" round things out by about 5;6. Understanding always runs ahead of use.

Try this at home

Prepositions are learned with the body, not with worksheets. Play hide-and-seek with a stuffed animal and narrate every placement: "I am putting Bear UNDER the table. Now Bear is BEHIND the chair." Obstacle courses work beautifully for the later ones - go through the tunnel, around the cone, over the pillow.

When to refer

Not following "in" and "on" directions by 3;0, or not using spatial prepositions in speech by 4;0.

Print it

Prepositions worksheet38 items across 4 sections, with answer key · PDF

Early Prepositions: In, On, Under, Out

10 items

Look at each picture card and fill in the blank.

  1. 1.The cat is ____ the box. (inside it)in
  2. 2.The book is ____ the table. (on top)on
  3. 3.The ball is ____ the bed. (beneath it)under
  4. 4.The bird flew ____ of the cage.out
  5. 5.The socks are ____ the drawer.in
  6. 6.The cup is ____ the shelf.on
  7. 7.The dog is ____ the porch. (beneath it)under
  8. 8.The toys are ____ the toy box.in
  9. 9.The hat is ____ his head.on
  10. 10.The shoes are ____ the chair. (beneath it)under

Later Prepositions: Behind, In Front Of, Next To, Between

10 items

Look at each picture card and fill in the blank.

  1. 1.The boy is hiding ____ the tree.behind
  2. 2.The car is parked ____ the house.in front of
  3. 3.The lamp is ____ the couch. (beside it)next to
  4. 4.The red block is ____ the two blue blocks.between
  5. 5.The girl is standing ____ her mom. (in back)behind
  6. 6.The dog is sitting ____ the door. (facing it)in front of
  7. 7.The fork is ____ the plate. (beside it)next to
  8. 8.The cat is ____ the two chairs.between
  9. 9.The backpack is ____ the desk. (in back)behind
  10. 10.The teacher stands ____ the class. (facing them)in front of

Advanced Prepositions: Above, Below, Through, Around, Across

10 items

Look at each picture card and fill in the blank.

  1. 1.The plane is flying ____ the clouds.above
  2. 2.The fish are swimming ____ the boat. (underneath)below
  3. 3.The train goes ____ the tunnel.through
  4. 4.The kids ran ____ the track. (in a circle)around
  5. 5.The bridge goes ____ the river.across
  6. 6.The kite is ____ the rooftops.above
  7. 7.The roots grow ____ the ground.below
  8. 8.The thread goes ____ the needle.through
  9. 9.The fence goes ____ the yard. (in a circle)around
  10. 10.We walked ____ the street.across

Follow the Direction

8 items

Give the child a small toy and a box. Read each direction and have them act it out.

  1. 1.Put the toy in the box.Toy inside the box
  2. 2.Put the toy on the box.Toy on top of the box
  3. 3.Put the toy under the box.Toy beneath the box
  4. 4.Put the toy behind the box.Toy in back of the box
  5. 5.Put the toy next to the box.Toy beside the box
  6. 6.Put the toy in front of the box.Toy in front of the box
  7. 7.Hold the toy above the box.Toy held over the box
  8. 8.Move the toy around the box.Toy circling the box