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Kindergarten · K.G.A.1

Positional words in kindergarten

Positional words tell where something is: above, below, beside, in front of, behind and next to. In kindergarten, your child uses these words to say where things are in a room or a picture, and names the shapes of everyday objects, such as a round plate or a box.

What the standard says

The official Common Core wording, quoted exactly. The plain version follows.

K.G.A.1 Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

What it means, in plain words

Position words describe where one object is compared with another. "The cat is behind the chair" uses behind to say where the cat is. Kindergarten covers above, below, beside, next to, in front of and behind. Beside and next to mean the same thing: at the side of something.

Every position word needs two objects, the one you talk about and the one you compare it with. The lamp is above the table, so the table is below the lamp. Both sentences describe the same room. Seeing that the pair goes both ways is a big step for a 5-year-old.

Positional words in kindergarten go together with shape names. Your child looks at real things and names their shapes: a window is a rectangle, a plate is a circle and a ball is a sphere (a solid round shape). Then your child can put both ideas in one sentence, such as "The round clock is above the door."

Your child should be able to:

  • Use above, below, beside, next to, in front of and behind to say where an object is
  • Describe the same two objects both ways, such as above and below
  • Name the shape of an everyday object, such as a plate (circle) or a block (cube)
  • Follow directions with position words, like "put the cup next to the plate"

Example

A picture frame hangs on the wall over a couch. Where is the frame, and where is the couch?

  1. The frame is higher than the couch, so the frame is above the couch.
  2. Turned around, the same picture says the couch is below the frame.
  3. Both sentences are true: the frame is above the couch and the couch is below the frame.

Example

From where you stand, a tree hides most of a dog. Where is the dog compared with the tree?

  1. The tree is between you and the dog.
  2. So the dog is behind the tree, and the tree is in front of the dog.
  3. Someone standing on the other side would see the dog in front of the tree.

Where children usually get stuck

  • Your child says a toy is in front of the box when it is on the far side, or uses the two words the other way round.

    Above and below never change, but in front of and behind depend on where the person looking stands. Your child may think about the box's front instead of the view from where your child stands.

    What helps. Put a stuffed animal behind a box on the floor. Walk around the box together and say each time whether the animal is in front of the box or behind it.

  • Your child says the lamp is above the table but looks blank when asked where the table is.

    Each sentence names a different object first. Turning the sentence around means keeping both objects in mind and changing the position word.

    What helps. Take turns at dinner. One person says where something is, and the other says it the other way round: "The salt is above the plate." "The plate is below the salt."

  • Your child points and says "there" or "on that" instead of using a position word.

    Pointing works at home, so your child has not needed the exact words. The words are new vocabulary more than a new idea.

    What helps. Hide a small toy and give one clue with a position word, such as "It is behind something soft." Then let your child hide the toy and give you the clues.

Try four practice questions

Real kindergarten questions from our question bank, easiest first. Answer them right here, check each one, and see a worked solution for any question.

  1. 1Warm-up
    Look at the picture below.
    Picture:
    snail beside the stone
    Aisha says: "The snail is next to the stone."
    James says: "The snail is above the stone."
    Who is right?
    A
    Neither one is right
    B
    James is right
    C
    Aisha is right
    Show the answer and how to solve it

    Aisha is right. The picture shows the snail next to the stone, which matches what Aisha said.

    1. 1Look at the picture. The snail is next to the stone.
    2. 2Now check what Aisha said. Aisha said the snail is next to the stone. The picture shows the snail next to the stone. That matches, so Aisha is right.
    3. 3Now check what James said. James said the snail is above the stone. But the picture shows the snail next to the stone, not above it. So James is wrong.

    Common mistake. A common mistake is picking the friend who said 'above' or 'below' without checking the picture. In this picture, the snail is next to the stone, so the word that matches is 'next to,' not 'above.'

    The idea underneath. To decide who is right, first look at the picture to see where the item really is, then check each friend's word against what you see.

  2. 2On level
    Carlos looked at the picture below and said:
    "The banana is behind the mug."
    banana in front of the mug
    Is Carlos correct?
    A
    Carlos is correct.
    B
    Carlos is wrong.
    Show the answer and how to solve it

    Carlos is wrong because the banana is in front of the mug, not behind it.

    1. 1Look at the picture. The banana is in front of the mug.
    2. 2Carlos said: "The banana is behind the mug."
    3. 3But the banana is in front of the mug, not behind it. So Carlos is wrong.

    Common mistake. A common mistake is choosing the verdict without looking at the picture. Always check the picture to make sure the friend's words match what you see.

    The idea underneath. When a friend tells you something about a picture, look at the picture yourself to check if their words match what you see.

  3. 3On level
    Look at the picture below.
    toy robot in front of the storybook
    Is the toy robot in front of the storybook, or behind it?
    A
    in front of
    B
    behind
    Show the answer and how to solve it

    The toy robot is in front of the storybook because the toy robot is closer to you and the storybook is further back.

    1. 1Look at the picture. Find the toy robot and the storybook.
    2. 2The toy robot is closer to you. The storybook is further back, behind the toy robot.
    3. 3So the toy robot is in front of the storybook. The answer is "in front of."

    Common mistake. A common mistake is reading the depth cue backwards — picking "behind" when the toy robot is actually in front of the storybook. Look for the toy that is closer to you (in front) and the toy that is further away (behind).

    The idea underneath. The toy that is closer to you is "in front of" the other toy. The toy that is further away is "behind" the other toy.

  4. 4Stretch
    Look at each picture. Tell where each object is.
    Is the lamb in front of or behind the scarecrow?
    lamb in front of the scarecrow
    A
    In front of
    B
    Behind
    Is the starfish in front of or behind the beach bucket?
    starfish behind the beach bucket
    A
    In front of
    B
    Behind
    Is the fox in front of or behind the tree stump?
    fox in front of the tree stump
    A
    In front of
    B
    Behind
    Is the panda in front of or behind the tree stump?
    panda behind the tree stump
    A
    In front of
    B
    Behind
    Show the answer and how to solve it

    The lamb is in front of the scarecrow. The starfish is behind the beach bucket. The fox is in front of the tree stump. The panda is behind the tree stump.

    1. 1Look at the lamb and the scarecrow. The lamb is closer to you — it partly covers the scarecrow. So the lamb is in front of the scarecrow. Tap 'In front of'.
    2. 2Look at the starfish and the beach bucket. The beach bucket partly covers the starfish. So the starfish is behind the beach bucket. Tap 'Behind'.
    3. 3Look at the fox and the tree stump. The fox partly covers the tree stump. So the fox is in front of the tree stump. Tap 'In front of'.
    4. 4Look at the panda and the tree stump. The tree stump partly covers the panda. So the panda is behind the tree stump. Tap 'Behind'.

    Common mistake. Some children mix up 'in front of' and 'behind'. 'In front of' means closer to you. 'Behind' means farther from you.

    The idea underneath. When one thing partly covers another in a picture, the thing that covers is in front. The thing that gets covered is behind.