Using ‘under’ in a simple game

Why is this important?
Prepositions are words that describe the position of an object (e.g. ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘under’, ‘behind’). ‘Under’ falls within the first group that children learn.

What to do

• Gather together some toys and place them ‘under’ things around the room.
• As the child finds something, he/she must say where it was, using the preposition (e.g. ‘under’ cup; ‘under’ bed).
• If the child uses the wrong preposition or doesn’t respond, offer a choice (e.g. ‘Is the car in the box or under the box?’).
• When everything has been found, play the game again, this time with the child hiding the toys under things and telling you where to find them.
• ‘Under’ is easiest for some children because it has two syllables which you can emphasise as you speak – ‘un-der’.