Position & Direction
Information About This Unit
Description of Learning Unit:
This unit covers positional words like top, bottom, inside, outside, above, below, in front of, behind, and middle. It also covers directional words like up, down, left, and right. Using games and hands-on activities, your child will have the opportunity to recognize position and direction and move objects based on positional and directional words. Online activities and a worksheet are included to reinforce the concepts. This unit is designed to last one week, depending on how often you teach math.
List of Objectives:
- Your child will learn to recognize objects and items that have a specific position in relation to other items.
- Your child will be exposed to words that show theposition of an object or item.
- Your child will be exposed to words that show thedirection of an object or item.
- Your child will learn to use positional and directional words to tell how to move an object or item.
List of Materials and Supplies Needed for This Pathway:
- The book Goldilocks and the Three Bears (available from the local library)
- A stuffed teddy bear
- A bag to hide the bear inside
- Homemade clues for a treasure hunt--including positional and directional words
- "Treasure" for the end of the hunt
- Food containers, boxes... to put treasure inside
- Handheld mirror (optional)
- A pretend river to jump over, made of a towel or sheet
- A table to go around or under
- Two rows of blocks for children to go between
- A tunnel to go through, made by draping a blanket over some chairs or by opening both ends of a large cardboard box
Pet Rhyming with Positional Words:
- Picture of pets listed in the rhyme (optional)
- Sentence strips
- Box or large hat filled with toys or stuffed animals
- Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
- A printer and basic printing supplies
- Card stock or paper
Worksheets:
- A printer and basic printing supplies
- Pencil or crayon
Links to Related Pathways (if any):
Links to Free Learning Material
Links to Online Lessons:
| I Can Learn Position Words | (no rating) |
This lesson covers nine position words. Read the position words to your child and point to them on the screen. Your child will have an opportunity to practice this lesson in the learning tools section.
| Positional Words Lesson | (no rating) |
This site demonstrates to your child positional words via colored boxes.
| Move the Shark | (no rating) |
This page shows your child positional words. The lady is swimming, and the shark will move to the correct positions as you click on the positional words in the box below the picture.
| I Can See Position Words | (no rating) |
This lesson gives descriptions of positional words. Your child can see the picture of the positional word as you point to it and read the word.
Reference Websites:
| Visual Direction Reference | (no rating) |
This reference page gives visual examples on direction.
| Visual Reference on Position | (no rating) |
This page gives a visual display of position and also shows a solved solution concerning position words.
| Move the Spider | (no rating) |
This page shows your chid directional words. The top of the page shows a spider. Click the link "play" and the spider will move directionaly as the direction words are displayed. Please read notes below.
| Visual Dictionary of Location Words | (no rating) |
This is the Little Explorers Visual Dictionary showing positional and directional words. It is a wonderful reference for location words. It not only gives the visual but it also gives a written description.
Hands-On Projects and Activities:
| Bears: Position Words | (no rating) |
Read the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to your child emphasizing positional and directional words. After the story, give your child a stuffed bear and practice using positional and directional words.
| Obstacle Course | (no rating) |
Create an obstacle course that your child can go over, under, around, between and through. If possible, have family members or friends join in the activity. As your child runs through the obstacle course, cheer him or her on by calling out directions: "Jump over the river," "Crawl through the tunnel," etc.
| Treasure Hunt | (no rating) |
This activity involves making a treasure map for your child to follow. Be sure to include positional and directional words in order to find the treasure.
| Learning Spatial Words with Pets | (no rating) |
Your child will have fun learning positional words through rhyming and hands-on play.
| Rosie's Walk | (no rating) |
You will read the book Rosie's Walk to your child. After reading the book, do some role playing with position words.
Learning Tools (worksheets, drills, printables, online games, tests, etc.):
| Amazing | (no rating) |
This activity page gives practice in using left and right to find your way through a maze.
| Help Clifford | (no rating) |
This video is interactive. Your chld will be exposed to words such as inside, outside, over, under, above, etc. You can play more than once so your child will be exposed to additional words.
| Up, Down, and All Around | (no rating) |
This game has three levels of play. To give your child lots of practice, play all three levels. The three levels are: Free Play, Follow Along, and Listen Closely. Listen Closely is the hardest.
| Help Jay Jay the Jet Plane | (no rating) |
Help Jay Jay, the Jet Plane fly his plane by clicking on the arrow to tell him which direction to go.
| Animals and Positions | (no rating) |
Your child will use in, on, over, and under to complete this activity page.
| Play Find the Right Position | (no rating) |
Your child will have the opportunity to practice finding the correct position for nine position words that were taught in the lesson section under "I Can Learn Position Words." Then, your child can play a game using those same positional words.
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Free Online Video:
| Up, Down Ball | (no rating) |
In this short video, children demonstrate up and down with a ball.
| Front, Back Fish | (no rating) |
This fun, short video demonstrates front and back.
| Inside and Outside | (no rating) |
Watch this short video to see what is inside and what is outside.
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Free Online Audio: 
Free E-Books (and classics available in most libraries):