Using ‘in’ and ‘on’ at the simplest level

Why is this important?
Prepositions are words that describe the position of an object (e.g. ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘under’ and ‘behind’). They are useful foundations for describing physical relationships in the world around.

What to do

• Gather together some toys and place them around the room: put them ‘in’ and ‘on’ things.
• As the child locates an object, encourage him/her to say where the preposition is being used (e.g. ‘in’ cup; ‘on’ bed).
• If the child makes a mistake or doesn’t respond, offer a choice (e.g. ‘Is the car in or on the box?’).
• When all the toys have been seen, change places and encourage the child to place them this time, and then tell you where to look, using the preposition.