The best way to teach students grammar is through the use of interactive exercises. This list of 12 preposition exercises is a wonderful place to start if you’re planning upcoming lessons on prepositions. Students can learn simple and more complex prepositions through classroom props and written and spoken descriptions. Read on to find out the most effective strategies for introducing prepositions to ESL and preschool students.
1. Prepositions of Place: Giving Directions
An activity like this will aid in basic sentence comprehension as well as practice with prepositions. Work together or individually and have students fill in the blanks with various prepositions. This game can be easily projected on the smartboard or projector!
Learn more: ISL Collective
2. Summer Prepositions Activity
Print out these cards, laminate them (for future use), and match them up with a story. Read a story (write your own or use one like this) and have students mark off the prepositions they hear! Bonus: if you laminate the cards, students can mark the words with whiteboard markers.
Learn more: 123 Homeschool for Me
3. Elf on the Shelf Prepositions
Are your kiddos obsessed with Elf on the Shelf? Teachers can create this pretty simple activity using a large piece of poster paper and some tape. Print out all of the pieces and stick the elf somewhere else daily. Have students come up with sentences describing the location of the elf.
Learn more: Tot Schooling
4. Where is the Robot
These poster manipulatives can be displayed anywhere in the classroom. They will act as a resource for students to refer back to. When you’re initially hanging them, be sure to go over them with the learners.
Learn more: Twinkl
5. Duck in the Tub
Children’s gross and fine motor skills improve and get stronger as they play with water. Teachers can purchase a few mini ducks and use paper cups with this activity. Verbally instruct students where to put the ducks! This activity is the perfect informal assessment.
Learn more: ESL Printables
6. Teddy Bear Prepositions
Where is the teddy bear? This activity goes wonderfully with Where is Bear? by Jonathan Bentley. Have students first listen to the read-aloud and get their prepositional juices flowing. Then, hand out a few stuffed teddy bears. Verbally or with a series of pictures, tell students where the bear is- have them put their bear in the right place on the desk.
Learn more: Twinkl
7. Prepositions Anchor Chart
Firstie Land created a simple but very intuitive prepositions anchor chart for the upper grades! And we all know that students love using sticky notes. Create the anchor chart as a class and have different students place the sticky notes every morning.
Learn more: Firstie Land
8. Cups and Toys
Looking for an engaging and hands-on resource? Look no further! This is a super simple version of one of the best ways to teach prepositions. Students simply have to choose a card and put the small plastic toy in the correct place on the cup. Have students work together or individually.
Learn More: Bp.blogspot
9. Preposition Song
Who doesn’t love a good classroom song? I absolutely love pairing these songs with different movements. Have your kiddos stand around their chairs and as you sing act out all of the movements!
Learn more: Mrs. Hall Fabulous in Fourth
10. Owl Prepositions
This super cute activity will help kiddos listen to oral directions and get some preposition practice while they’re at it. Cut a hole in the box and tell your kiddos where the owl is flying! Have students place their owls in the correct spot.
Learn more: Sunshine Explorers Academy
11. Prepositions with Chocolate Milk
Looking to recycle your old water bottles? Create this simple snowman craft and let your students use it for various activities. Have your students flip through the cards and put the hat in the correct spot!
Learn more: Itty Bitty Class
12. Students Involved in Preposition Activity
This is an awesome activity to practice physical movements with students. Get your students into groups of three. Have two students stand across from each other and hold hands. The third student will listen to the prepositions and stand accordingly around the students’ arms.
Learn more: Sbaksa International School
20 Activities For Teaching And Interacting With Prefixes