Following Spatial Directions: In, Out, On, Off, Under, Next to
As a toddler’s brain grows, they’ll start to understand words that describe spatial relationships. Most toddlers start using these types of location or spatial terms around two years old — terms like in, out, on top, off, under, beside, and next to.
To test your child’s understanding of these spatial terms, use them when you give your child directions. Think about things your toddler can already do. For example, if your child understands what put means, tell them to put a toy in, under, or beside something else. If your toddler does not accurately follow the instruction, show them what to do.
Let’s look at some strategies to help your toddler with following spatial directions.
Speech therapy tips for following directions with spatial concepts
Tip 1 - Teach the meaning of location words
Start by practicing location words during play — it’s a great time for your child to learn, and it’s fun! As you engage in play together, use location words OFTEN to talk about what you are doing. By repeatedly using these words and showing examples, you create enough repetition for your child to absorb their meaning.
For example, if you’re playing with blocks, you could say, “Let’s build a tall tower. We need to put blocks ON TOP to build it even higher! This blue block goes ON TOP, now the green block goes on top.” “Let’s put this silly cow ON TOP of the blocks!” Adding emphasis to the location words will help them stand out to your child.
Tip 2 - Focus on learning one word at a time
Try to focus on teaching one new location word at a time. Use it repeatedly during play until your child can consistently follow directions with that word. Then, move on to a new one. To start, focus on the words highlighted in this lesson. Here are some examples of how you can incorporate them into play:
Put your toy IN the basket
Take your blocks OFF the table
Wait NEXT the door
Take Superman OUT
Sit UNDER the umbrella
Sit down BESIDE the puppy
Tip 3 - Subtly test your child’s learning with directions
As you continue to practice, intermittently test your child’s understanding by asking them to follow directions with location words. For example, say “Put your toy on the table.” You should be a little sneaky about this — you don’t want your child to feel like you’re testing them and become frustrated. Don’t give too many commands at once; instead, try slipping them in periodically during play.
You’ll know your child has learned the meaning of a location word when they can follow directions with that word repeatedly and without help over the span of several days.
Download our activities guide for following spatial directions ↓
At home activity for practicing with spatial directions
“In” and “Out” with Laundry
Materials:
A container with a lot of objects in it. You can use a container of small toys (like cars or blocks) or something that you are doing for the household (like a hamper of laundry to sort or a bag of groceries to unload.)
Set-up:
Prepare your container of toys that you are ready to play with, such as cars or blocks. If you are doing a household task (groceries, laundry, etc) make sure to set aside extra time so that you can have your child “help” you.
What to do:
With this activity you will help your child understand the location words “in” and “out” while doing laundry. When you get out a container of items (such as blocks, cars, hamper of clothes, groceries, etc) you may be tempted to simply dump it all out at once. If you have a child working on learning IN and OUT, instead prolong the task by taking the items out one at a time.
Have your hamper of clothes or toy container handy. Reach in and remove the items one at a time while saying “out” each time you remove something. You can use more than one word (“take the car OUT”, “take the sock OUT”.) Your child might repeat you, or they might just help you and listen while you say the word OUT a lot.
When you are finished with the item (like it is time to put the folded laundry away or clean up the cars), you will do the same thing as before but repeat the word IN a lot of times while you tidy. You can say just the word IN while you do it, or you can say a short sentence (“put the red car IN”, “put the towel IN the basket”.) Again, your child might repeat the word, or they might just listen while they help you. Remember, even if they don’t repeat you this time you are still helping them learn what the word means when they hear you repeat it lots of time.
What to say:
Here are some examples of what you might say as you are practicing with spatial directions when playing with your toddler:
You: I take the block OUT. [removes block] Block OUT. [removes block] Block OUT. [Removes block. Grabs fourth block, looks expectantly at child while hand is still in the box.]
Child: Out.
You: Block OUT [removes block]
You: I take the block OUT. [removes block] Block OUT. [removes block] Block OUT. [Removes block. Grabs fourth block, looks expectantly at child while hand is still in the box.]
Child: [says nothing or says something unexpected]
You: Block OUT. [removes block]
You: Time to clean up! Let’s put the cars IN. Car IN. [puts car in] Car IN. [puts car in. Pauses and sees what child does]
Child: In.
You: You put the CAR IN!
Download our spatial directions activities guide (this activity + 2 more!) ↓
You May Also Like These At Home Speech Therapy Tips And Activities:
Created In Collaboration By:
Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP
Stephanie Burgener-Vader, MA CCC-SLP
Melissa Sartori, MS CCC-SLP
Yvette Faire-Bostick, MS CCC-SLP
© 2020-2022. Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP. All Rights Reserved. The content offered on ToddlerTalk.com is for informational purposes only. Toddler Talk is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, speech language pathologist, or other health professional. By accessing the content on ToddlerTalk.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with information related to home speech and language practice, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on ToddlerTalk.com.