Position and DirectionActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps young students grasp positional language because movement and touch make abstract concepts concrete. These activities let children experience left and right through their own bodies, see above and below by manipulating objects, and test next to through immediate proximity. The physical and social engagement strengthens memory and corrects misconceptions in real time.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify the relative positions of objects using terms like left, right, above, below, in front, and behind.
- 2Demonstrate understanding of positional language by arranging objects according to given instructions.
- 3Explain the meaning of left and right from their own perspective and the perspective of another person.
- 4Classify objects based on their position relative to a reference point.
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Simon Says: Positional Directions
Call out commands like 'Simon says move to the right of the mat' or 'Simon says stand behind your friend.' Students follow only if 'Simon says' is included. Rotate students as leader to practice giving directions. Debrief by having pairs share what they heard.
Prepare & details
How do we describe where an object is?
Facilitation Tip: During Simon Says: Positional Directions, give clear, slow commands and pause after each to let students process and act.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Partner Object Hunt
Pairs take turns hiding a small toy in the classroom and describing its position using target language, such as 'It is above the book and next to the pencil.' The partner searches based on clues. Switch roles after each turn and discuss accurate descriptions.
Prepare & details
What does left and right mean, and how do we know which is which?
Facilitation Tip: For Partner Object Hunt, pair students with similar language levels to encourage precise descriptions and peer correction.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Direction Relay Race
Divide into small groups. Give sequential directions like 'Take two steps forward, turn left, place block behind the tower.' Groups race to complete setups correctly. Review errors as a class to reinforce terms.
Prepare & details
How do we give and follow directions using positional language?
Facilitation Tip: In Direction Relay Race, start with short distances and simple terms, then increase complexity as teams succeed.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Position Mat Game
Lay out mats labeled with positions. Students draw cards with instructions like 'Stand in front of the blue mat.' They move accordingly and explain their position to a partner. Collect cards for multiple rounds.
Prepare & details
How do we describe where an object is?
Facilitation Tip: Use Position Mat Game to model one term at a time, placing objects yourself before asking students to do the same.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Teaching This Topic
Teach positional language by anchoring words to students’ bodies and familiar objects. Avoid abstract explanations; instead, use demonstrations, repetition, and gradual complexity. Research shows that young learners benefit from multisensory input, so combine movement, touch, and visuals. Keep language simple and consistent, and correct errors immediately to prevent habits from forming.
What to Expect
By the end of these activities, students will use positional language accurately in conversation and writing. They will describe locations from a shared viewpoint, distinguish vertical from forward-back axes, and use next to to mean immediate adjacency. Success looks like clear, correct statements and peers correcting one another’s directions.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Simon Says: Positional Directions, watch for students who rely only on their own viewpoint when giving commands.
What to Teach Instead
Pause the game and model using a shared reference, such as 'Put your right hand on the table,' then ask students to repeat the command using the same perspective.
Common MisconceptionDuring Direction Relay Race, watch for students who confuse above/below with in front of/behind.
What to Teach Instead
After the race, hold up two objects and ask students to physically place one above the other, then one in front of the other, naming the positions aloud as they do so.
Common MisconceptionDuring Partner Object Hunt, watch for students who use 'next to' to mean far away.
What to Teach Instead
Have partners stand next to each other and touch shoulders to reinforce immediate adjacency, then ask them to place objects accordingly before describing.
Assessment Ideas
After Partner Object Hunt, place three objects on a table and ask students to point to the object that is 'to the left of the pencil' or 'above the book' while describing their choice.
After Position Mat Game, give each student a drawing of a simple scene and ask them to write one sentence describing the position of one object relative to another, such as 'The star is below the moon'.
During Simon Says: Positional Directions, ask students to describe where their own pencil is in relation to their book, then where the teacher’s desk is in relation to the door, listening for correct use of positional language.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask early finishers to describe a sequence of positions, such as 'The teddy is behind the chair, and the pencil is next to the teddy.'
- Scaffolding: For struggling students, use a mirror to show left and right on their own bodies before moving to objects.
- Deeper exploration: Invite students to create a simple map of the classroom with labeled positions, then describe it to a partner.
Key Vocabulary
| left | The side of your body that is opposite to your right side. We use this word to describe where something is in relation to us or another object. |
| right | The side of your body that is opposite to your left side. This word helps us describe locations. |
| above | In or to a higher position than something else; over it. For example, the ceiling is above the floor. |
| below | In or to a lower position than something else; under it. For example, the rug is below the table. |
| in front of | The part of something that faces forward. For example, the car is in front of the house. |
| behind | At or to the back of something. For example, the backpack is behind the chair. |
Suggested Methodologies
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