Position Words
Kindergarten · Math · Study Guide
Position words tell us WHERE something is. Above, below, beside, in front, behind — let's learn them all!
Position words describe where something is located. They help us give directions, describe pictures, and understand the space around us. Without position words, it would be really hard to explain where anything is!
Above means higher up, like the sky is above your head. Below means lower down, like the ground is below your feet. These are opposites — above and below always go together.
In front means something is ahead of you or facing you. Behind means something is at your back. If you're standing in a line at school, the person in front of you is the one you can see, and the person behind you is the one who can see the back of your head.
Beside means next to — right at the side. Your best friend might sit beside you at lunch. Between means in the middle of two things — like when you sit between two friends on a bench.
Inside means something is within another thing, like a ball inside a box. Outside means it's not inside — the ball is outside the box. On top of means resting on the surface of something, and underneath means below or beneath it. All these words help you describe exactly where things are!
| Position Word | Opposite | Example |
|---|---|---|
| above | below | The bird is above the tree. The worm is below the ground. |
| in front of | behind | The teacher stands in front of the class. The board is behind the teacher. |
| inside | outside | The cat is inside the house. The dog is outside in the yard. |
| on top of | underneath | The book is on top of the desk. The backpack is underneath the desk. |
| beside | far from | My friend sits beside me. The principal's office is far from our room. |
Key terms
- above
- Higher up than something else — the lamp is above the table
- below
- Lower down than something else — the rug is below the table
- beside
- Next to, at the side of — the chair is beside the desk
- in front of
- Ahead of, facing — the door is in front of me
- behind
- At the back of — the coat rack is behind the door
- between
- In the middle of two things — the lamp is between two windows
- inside
- Within something — the toy is inside the box
- outside
- Not inside something — the cat is outside the house
Practice questions
The cat is sitting on the chair. The book is on the floor under the chair. Where is the book?
- above the chair
- beside the chair
- underneath the chair
- in front of the chair
Show answer
Answer: underneath the chair
The word 'above' and the word 'below' are opposites.
Show answer
Answer: True
The ball is ___ the box — it is not inside it anymore.
Show answer
Answer: outside
Sofia is standing in a line. Juan is right in front of her. Where is Sofia in relation to Juan?
- above Juan
- beside Juan
- behind Juan
- below Juan
Show answer
Answer: behind Juan
If Tom sits between Sam and Ana, there is one person on each side of Tom.
Show answer
Answer: True
Fun facts
- Astronauts in space don't have a normal 'above' or 'below' because there's no gravity pulling them down! Up and down can mean different things depending on which way they float.
- Architects — the people who design buildings — use position words constantly when writing blueprints: 'the stairs are beside the elevator,' 'the roof is above the third floor.'
- Bees use a special dance to tell other bees the position of flowers — they wiggle in a figure-8 pattern that communicates direction and distance. It's nature's version of position words!
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