MathGrade 1ages 6–7
🐱 Over under beside
Position words like "under" and "on" sound similar and get used quickly in speech, so young children can mix them up even when they clearly understand where something actually is.
Try this lesson freeNo card needed. The first lesson is free.
Download on the App StoreWhat your child learns
- Under means below the furniture, a bit hidden.
- On means sitting up on the surface.
- Beside means at the side, not over and not under.
- Left and right are the two sides of the cup.
The mistake most kids make here
Mixing up under with on, and left with right.
Try one question
The cat is hiding under the table. Where is it?
The cat
- on the table
- only by the window
- under the table
Answer
under the table — Yes. Under the table — below the surface.
How Maya teaches it
Your child tells Maya what they did in class. She teaches this topic at her desk, asks questions with tappable answers, and when the answer is wrong she explains why that answer was tempting instead of saying “try again”. She remembers what did not land and comes back to it.
Your child has it when they can: A cat under the table — say under, not on.
How to help at home
This mix-up is usually about the words, not the concept — a child can point correctly to where a toy is hiding and still say the wrong word for it. Naming while pointing is what locks the two together.
Play a hiding game: put a small toy under the table, then on the table, then beside a chair, asking "where is it?" each time and having your child both point and say the word.
If your child says "on" while pointing under the table, say the correct word back gently while pointing to the same spot: "yes, it's right there — under the table, below it." Repetition with the correct word, paired with the same pointing gesture, builds the connection faster than correction alone.
A sign they've got it: they can follow a spoken instruction like "put the spoon beside the cup" correctly on the first try, without needing to see an example first.
Questions parents ask
- Why does my child mix up under and on?
- Both words describe closeness to a surface, and young children are still building the vocabulary to distinguish "below it" from "on top of it". Pointing while saying the word each time helps the label stick to the right spot.
- What's a fun way to practice position words at home?
- Hide a small toy in different spots — under a table, on a chair, beside a lamp — and ask "where is it?" each time, having your child both point and answer with the word.
- How do I help with left and right specifically?
- Pick one consistent reference, like which hand holds a fork, and use it every time rather than switching examples, since left and right take longer to become automatic than other position words.
- How does Maya teach position words like over, under, and beside?
- Maya pairs each position word with a picture and a question the child answers by choosing, reinforcing the word and the location together rather than teaching the vocabulary list on its own.
No card needed. The first lesson is free.
Download on the App StoreMore Math lessons
- Count to 20Grade 1
- Take away to 10Grade 1
- Circle square triangleGrade 1
- More or lessGrade 1
- What comes nextGrade 1
- Add up to 20Grade 1
- Long and shortGrade 1
- Ball and boxGrade 1