AC9MFSP02_E1
Describe the position of an item in relation to other items using language such as inside, underneath and on top of.
About This Foundation Maths Topic
Position and location learning helps children understand where they and other objects are situated within a familiar environment. Students learn to describe locations clearly using everyday spatial language.
Children use words such as inside, outside, under, on top of, behind, in front of, beside, near and next to.
Through hiding games, classroom searches, movement activities, robotic toys and instructive games, students learn to describe where they have moved themselves or placed an object.
These teaching ideas and printable resources support the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 content descriptor AC9MFSP02 and its associated elaborations.
Australian Curriculum Alignment
AC9MFSP02
Describe the position and location of themselves and objects in relation to other people and objects within a familiar space.
AC9MFSP02_E2
Describe where they have moved themselves or placed an item in relation to other objects within a familiar space.
AC9MFSP02_E3
Describe the position of a robotic toy in relation to objects as it moves around a familiar environment.
AC9MFSP02_E4
Explore First Nations Australians’ instructive games, including games involving the description of position, movement, people, objects and locations.
Learning Intentions
Students will learn to:
- describe where an object is located;
- describe their own position within a familiar space;
- use positional words accurately;
- identify whether an object is inside or outside;
- describe objects as being above, below, under or on top;
- describe objects as being behind or in front of something;
- describe objects as being beside, near or next to something;
- follow instructions involving position and movement;
- give instructions for moving through a familiar space;
- describe where an object has been hidden;
- describe the position of a moving robotic toy;
- explain location using more than one positional word;
- participate respectfully in position and movement games.
Student Success Criteria
I can describe where an object is.
I can use the words inside and outside.
I can use the words above and below.
I can use the words under and on top of.
I can use the words behind and in front of.
I can use the words beside, near and next to.
I can follow instructions about position.
I can give instructions about position.
I can describe where I moved.
I can describe where I placed an object.
I can describe where a robotic toy is.
I can use two or more position words in one description.
I can explain my position clearly to another person.
Key Vocabulary
position
location
space
inside
outside
in
out
under
underneath
above
below
on
on top of
behind
in front of
beside
next to
near
far
between
over
through
around
across
forward
backward
left
right
move
turn
hide
describe
direction
robot
Teacher Guide
Recommended Materials
- classroom objects and containers;
- boxes, baskets, shelves and tables;
- balls, blocks and soft toys;
- positional language picture cards;
- hoops, cones and floor markers;
- toy animals, cars and people;
- simple classroom maps or photographs;
- robotic toys or programmable floor robots;
- chairs and desks for obstacle courses;
- outdoor playground equipment;
- photographs showing familiar spaces;
- drawing and recording materials.
Suggested Teaching Sequence
- Begin with real objects placed in obvious positions, such as a ball inside a box or a book on top of a table.
- Introduce one pair of positional words at a time, such as inside and outside.
- Ask students to physically move themselves into different positions.
- Use objects and toys to model words such as under, behind, beside and between.
- Ask students to describe the same location using increasingly detailed language.
- Play hiding games in which students explain where objects have been placed.
- Give simple movement instructions for students to follow.
- Invite students to give position and movement instructions to a partner.
- Introduce robotic toys and describe their position after each movement.
- Explore appropriate First Nations instructive games with respect for their cultural origin and context.
- Assess students through observation, oral explanations and practical position tasks.
Teacher Questions
- Where is the object?
- What is it next to?
- Is it inside or outside?
- Is it above or below the shelf?
- What is underneath the table?
- What is on top of the box?
- Is the toy behind or in front of the chair?
- What is between the two objects?
- Can you describe the position using another word?
- Can you give a more detailed description?
- Where did you hide the ball?
- Where did you move yourself?
- How can your partner reach the object?
- Where is the robotic toy now?
- What object is nearest to the robot?
- What position will the robot be in after it moves?
- Can you follow these movement instructions?
- Can you give your partner an instruction?
Common Misconceptions
Confusing left and right
Use consistent physical cues, such as a wristband or sticker, and practise left and right through movement rather than worksheets alone.
Using only one-word answers
Encourage complete descriptions such as, “The ball is under the table,” rather than accepting only “under.”
Describing position without a reference object
Explain that words such as behind, beside and above must describe the object's position in relation to something else.
Confusing above with on top of
Demonstrate that an object can be above another object without touching it, while an object on top of something usually touches its surface.
Confusing near with next to
Compare objects that are generally close with objects that are immediately beside one another.
Giving instructions from their own viewpoint
Use partner activities to show that position and direction may appear different depending on where a person is standing.
Foundation Position and Spatial Language Activities
Activity 1: Where Is the Toy?
Place a toy in different locations around the classroom, such as inside a box, under a table or on top of a shelf.
Students describe the toy's position using a complete sentence.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E1
Activity 2: Position the Object
Give students instructions such as, “Place the block inside the box,” or “Put the pencil underneath the book.”
Students then take turns giving instructions to a partner.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E1
Activity 3: Classroom Location Challenge
Ask questions about familiar classroom objects, such as, “Where are the scissors kept?”
Encourage detailed answers that use more than one location phrase.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E1
Activity 4: Hide the Ball
One student hides a ball or toy within a safe classroom or outdoor space.
The student describes where the object is hidden using words such as behind, near, beside or underneath.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E2
Activity 5: Move and Describe
Students move to positions around chairs, tables, hoops or floor markers.
After moving, each student describes their location in relation to another person or object.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E2
Activity 6: Positional Obstacle Course
Create a safe obstacle course that requires students to move under, over, around, between and beside objects.
Students describe the movement they completed.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E2
Activity 7: Partner Instructions
One student gives movement instructions while a partner follows them.
The pair checks whether the instructions were clear and whether the correct final position was reached.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E2
Activity 8: Robot Position Talk
Move a robotic toy or toy car around desks, chairs and boxes.
Pause after each movement and ask students to describe the robot's position.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E3
Activity 9: Program the Robot
Students give simple instructions to move a robotic toy to a target location.
They describe the robot's final position using spatial language.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E3
Activity 10: Robot Treasure Hunt
Place picture cards or classroom objects around a floor grid.
Students guide the robot toward a selected object and describe where the robot stopped.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E3
Activity 11: Picture Location Talk
Display a picture of a classroom, playground, bedroom or park.
Students describe where people and objects are positioned within the scene.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02
Activity 12: Draw From Instructions
Give instructions such as, “Draw a ball under the chair,” and “Draw a bird above the tree.”
Compare the drawings and discuss whether the positions match the instructions.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02
Activity 13: Thapumpan-Inspired Position Discussion
Explore age-appropriate information about Thapumpan, an instructive game from the Wik-Mungkan Peoples of Cape Bedford in north Queensland.
Focus on describing the position and movement of participants in relation to other people, objects and locations.
Use culturally appropriate resources and acknowledge the Wik-Mungkan Peoples as the custodians of this knowledge.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E4
Activity 14: Follow the Leader
Students follow instructions involving position and movement, such as standing beside a marker, moving behind a partner or stopping between two cones.
Students then describe their position.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02_E4
Activity 15: Spatial Language Treasure Hunt
Provide clues such as, “Look underneath something you sit on,” or “Find the clue beside the classroom door.”
Students follow each clue and explain where the next item was found.
Curriculum connection: AC9MFSP02
Differentiation
Support
- introduce one pair of position words at a time;
- use real objects before using worksheet pictures;
- model each position physically;
- provide visual positional-language cards;
- repeat instructions slowly;
- allow students to point before giving an oral answer;
- use sentence starters;
- keep movement activities within familiar spaces;
- avoid introducing left and right until students are ready.
Extension
- use two or more positional phrases in one description;
- create multi-step movement instructions;
- design a treasure hunt for classmates;
- draw a simple map of a familiar space;
- describe an object's position without naming the object;
- compare the meanings of above and on top of;
- compare the meanings of near and next to;
- predict a robotic toy's final position;
- give instructions from another person's viewpoint.
Mathematical Sentence Starters
The object is _____ the box.
The toy is underneath the _____.
The book is on top of the _____.
I am standing beside the _____.
The ball is behind the _____.
The chair is in front of the _____.
The object is between the _____ and the _____.
I hid the object _____.
I moved from _____ to _____.
The robot is now _____ the desk.
The robot stopped next to the _____.
First, move _____.
Next, go _____.
I know the position because _____.
A clearer description would be _____.
Assessment Ideas
Observe whether the student can:
- describe the position of an object;
- use common positional words accurately;
- describe their own position;
- identify the reference object in a position statement;
- follow a one-step positional instruction;
- follow a sequence of movement instructions;
- give a clear positional instruction;
- describe where an object was hidden;
- describe the position of a robotic toy;
- use more than one positional phrase;
- describe position within a picture or familiar space;
- participate respectfully in instructive games.
Quick Exit Ticket
- Place an object underneath a chair.
- Describe where the object is.
- Move beside another object.
- Give a partner one position instruction.
Printable Teacher and Student Resources
Use the buttons below to open the available AC9MFSP02 Foundation Position, Location and Spatial Language worksheets and activities in a new browser tab.
foundation-position-location-and-spatial-language
foundation-positional-language-activities-ac9mfsp02
foundation-object-position-and-location-worksheets-ac9mfsp02-e1
foundation-position-words-inside-under-on-top-ac9mfsp02-e1
foundation-position-and-movement-activities-ac9mfsp02-e2
foundation-behind-near-next-to-location-worksheets-ac9mfsp02-e2
foundation-robot-toy-position-activities-ac9mfsp02-e3
foundation-robotic-toy-spatial-language-worksheets-ac9mfsp02-e3
foundation-first-nations-position-and-movement-games-ac9mfsp02-e4
foundation-thapumpan-position-language-activities-ac9mfsp02-e4
Resources open in a new tab. Browser PDF settings may affect whether a file opens in the browser or downloads.
Home Learning Ideas
Families can practise positional language while playing with toys, tidying rooms, following simple instructions or searching for familiar household objects.
Ask children to place a toy inside a box, underneath a chair, behind a cushion or next to a book. Children can then describe the position using a complete sentence.
Useful questions include:
- Where is the toy?
- What is it next to?
- Is it inside or outside?
- What is underneath the table?
- What is on top of the shelf?
- Can you stand behind the chair?
- Can you place the ball between two objects?
- Can you hide an object and describe where it is?
- Can you give me an instruction to follow?
- Can you describe the location using two position words?