Saying where things are — Foreign languages, 4–6 years
Learn to say whether a familiar object is in, on or under a place you can see. Foreign languages, 4–6 years.
Words show places
A place word tells how two things are arranged. A toy can be in a box, on a chair or under a table. In a new language, you learn the short place word together with the object and the place, not as a floating word.
Why place words matter
When someone says where an object is, you can find it without searching everywhere. This solves a real problem: a person may know the word for ball but still not know where to look. Place words turn a name into useful information.
Find the teddy
Put a teddy bear under a chair. First, look at the chair and the bear together. Next, listen for the new-language phrase meaning under the chair. Then point below the chair and say the phrase. Move the teddy onto the chair and repeat with on the chair.
Left and right can turn around
A child may copy the place from the speaker's point of view, so left and right can seem to change when people face each other. That confusion is reasonable because the objects are still in the same places. Start with in, on and under, which stay easier to see and show.
Finding everyday things
These words help when someone tells you where your coat, cup or favourite toy is. They also help in a tidy-up game, when one person gives a clue and another looks. Use them only when the place is clear enough to guide the search.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…