How to Teach Position Words: Under, Over, Beside and Between
"Where's teddy?" "Under the blanket!" A child who can answer that is doing spatial maths. Position words describe how things sit in relation to each other, and this early sense of space feeds into geometry, map-reading, and even the way we lay out numbers and sums on a page. Best of all, it is taught through movement and play.
Why position words are maths
Spatial reasoning, knowing where things are and how they relate, is a genuine strand of mathematical thinking. Children who develop it well tend to find later geometry and problem-solving more natural. When you teach position words like under, over, beside and between, you are giving your child the vocabulary to describe and think about space, which is far more powerful than it first appears.
Use the whole body first
Little children learn position best by putting their own bodies in it. Crawl under the table, climb over the cushion, stand beside the chair, squeeze between two boxes. When the word is attached to a big physical action, it sticks fast. So before you ask your child to put a toy somewhere, invite them to be the thing that goes under, over or between. It is more fun and it teaches faster.
Name it as it happens
The easiest teaching moment is the one already unfolding. As you tuck your child in, say "the blanket goes over you." As they hide, say "you are behind the sofa." Narrating position during ordinary play and care, again and again, is how these words settle in. You are simply putting language to what your child is already doing with their body and their toys.
Games that teach place
- Play hide and seek and describe where they hid: under, behind, inside.
- Give a teddy simple instructions: put it on the box, then under it, then beside it.
- Build an obstacle course: crawl under the chair, jump over the rope.
- Set the table together: fork beside the plate, cup above the spoon.
Each of these lets your child act out position rather than just hear about it, which is the surest way to teach position words under, over, beside and between.
One word at a time
Do not pour all the words in at once. Under and over make a natural first pair because they are opposites your child can feel clearly. Beside and next to can come next, then the trickier between, which needs two reference points. Trying to teach the whole set together tends to blur them. Let one become solid and playful before adding another.
Between is the hard one
Between deserves special attention because it asks your child to hold two objects in mind and place something in the gap. Set up two teddies and pop a toy car between them, saying the word clearly. Then ask your child to stand between two chairs, or to put the spoon between two cups. The double reference makes it genuinely harder, so expect it to take longer and keep it light.
Turn it into instructions
Once the words are familiar, simple instruction games are gold. "Can you put the ball under the table?" "Now beside the door." Following position instructions checks real understanding and delights children, who love the challenge of getting it right. Swap roles too: let your child boss you around, telling you to go over the cushion or between the chairs. Their giggles when you obey cement the words.
Read and point
Picture books are full of spatial arrangements. As you read, point and describe: "The cat is under the bed, the bird is above the tree." Ask your child to find something that is beside, or behind, or between in the picture. Linking the words to images stretches them beyond your child's own body and into describing scenes, which is a small but real step up.
Expect confusion, stay relaxed
Position words are abstract, and children mix them up for a long time. "Under" and "over" get swapped, "between" is used loosely. This is completely normal and not a cause for concern. Rather than correcting sharply, simply model the right word: "Yes, it went under, right under the chair." Warm repetition teaches far better than drilling, and it keeps the games joyful.
When to seek a little advice
Grasping spatial and position words develops gradually across the preschool years, with plenty of variation between children. It is sensible to have a relaxed chat with your health visitor, GP or nursery if your child shows little understanding of position and direction words well beyond their peers, struggles broadly with language and following simple instructions, or seems to lose skills they had gained. These check-ins are routine and simply help any useful support arrive sooner.
The takeaway
Position words turn space into something a child can talk about and think with, and they are best learned through crawling, climbing, hiding and building. Keep finding chances to teach position words under, over, beside and between during everyday play, and you hand your child a spatial vocabulary that quietly supports geometry, reading a map, and organising their thinking for years to come.
Key point: Teach position words through whole-body play and instruction games, one pair at a time, saving the trickier between for last.