Position words tell where something is. Kindergarten students use these words when they read, write, follow directions, and describe pictures. This cheat sheet helps students learn common position words with simple meanings and examples.
It is useful for classroom reference, centers, and at-home practice.
The most important position words are above, below, inside, and outside. Students should also know over, under, near, and far because these words often appear in directions and story problems. A position word describes the location of one object compared with another object.
Students can practice by saying sentences like, “The cat is under the table” or “The ball is inside the box.”
Key Facts
- Above means something is higher than another thing, as in “The bird is above the tree.”
- Below means something is lower than another thing, as in “The shoes are below the shelf.”
- Inside means something is in a space or container, as in “The toy is inside the box.”
- Outside means something is not in a space or container, as in “The dog is outside the house.”
- Over means something is above and may go across another thing, as in “The plane flies over the school.”
- Under means something is below or covered by another thing, as in “The cat is under the chair.”
- Near means something is close to another thing, as in “The pencil is near the book.”
- Far means something is not close to another thing, as in “The moon is far from Earth.”
Vocabulary
- Above
- Above means higher than something else.
- Below
- Below means lower than something else.
- Inside
- Inside means in a space, place, or container.
- Outside
- Outside means not in a space, place, or container.
- Position word
- A position word tells where something is.
- Location
- Location is the place where something is.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing up above and below is wrong because above means higher and below means lower.
- Saying inside when an object is next to a container is wrong because inside means the object is in the container.
- Saying outside when an object is in a box or room is wrong because outside means not in that space.
- Using a position word without naming the other object can be confusing because position words compare one thing to another.
- Forgetting to look carefully at the picture is wrong because the correct position word depends on where the object is.
Practice Questions
- 1 A bird is flying higher than a tree. Is the bird above or below the tree?
- 2 A teddy bear is in a basket. Is the teddy bear inside or outside the basket?
- 3 A shoe is under a bed. Which word tells where the shoe is?
- 4 Look around your room. Tell one sentence using above, below, inside, or outside.