Fun and easy ways to teach spatial concepts in speech therapy

A super common preschool or kindergarten goal for my students is spatial concepts (and also object functions and action verbs). To teach a skill effectively, you want to be confident in the why and how of what you’re doing, right?  Today, we’re chatting about the benefits of teaching spatial concepts and a few quick tips on how to do it!

Why Target Spatial Concepts

Locative prepositions (or positional or spatial concepts) are parts of speech that communicate a positional relationship between an object and a reference point.  So, what’s the point of teaching this to our students?  Here are four great reasons to target spatial concepts:

1. It develops spatial awareness 

These concepts help children perceive the relationship between objects, themselves, and the environment.  They are better able to understand where their bodies are in space.

2. It promotes receptive language and following directions.

A good understanding of positional concepts helps them to understand language more precisely and ask and understand detailed questions. It’s also super functional for following classroom rules. (i.e. “Stand behind your desk,” “Put your pencil in the box,” “Get in line in front of Maria.”)   

3. It expands vocabulary and develops descriptive language.

As a child’s understanding of these concepts expands, conversation abilities expand. They can begin to form sentences and express their ideas to others more clearly.

4. It increases problem-solving 

They learn to analyze and solve spatial problems, such as figuring out how to place objects in relation to each other or navigate through space.

For preschoolers and kindergarteners, a good understanding of spatial concepts can even predict later success in math, reading, and following directions.

How to teach Spatial Concepts

In a 2015 study by Hicks, Rivera, and Wood, it was found that direct instruction and repeated practice proved effective for teaching positional concepts to students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. 

The direct teaching instruction of the study involved the following strategies:

• Began by using one object and one prop
• Targeted one preposition at a time 
• Modeled using examples and non-examples (i.e. this is above, this is not above)
• Asked the student “Where is it?” for expressive responses
• Introduced new items and props
• Required students to perform an action using the concept (i.e. put the ruler under the table)

Tips for teaching spatial concepts:

1. Use concrete, familiar objects.  Start with a familiar object and prop to teach the concepts.
2. Repetition and practice.  Demonstrate the preposition in different ways over several sessions. Extend to different using different objects and props, then pictures of the concept.
3. Target one or two concepts at a time.  Probe mastery of one preposition before moving to the next. 
4. Use contrast concepts for non-examples.  I.e. show a picture of OUT for “not IN.”
5. Use a variety of cards, hands-on activities, and homework pages to reinforce your target concepts.

Spatial Concepts Mini Unit

If you need a fun variety of research-based ideas and engaging activities to target positional concepts with your students, then you might want to check out this Spatial Concepts Mini Unit!

I like this unit because it makes me feel more confident in knowing the research-based strategies to target positions with my littles.  The students are having fun with hands-on activities but are learning important communication skills at the same time.

Here are a few of my favorite things about this resource:

• The activities are research-based and include tips for targeting functions with your students.
• It includes sensory bin activities, task cards, an interactive book, and play dough activities.
• The activities include both clipart AND real pictures for a variety of targets.
• There are several take-home pages, including a parent tip sheet with ideas for targeting object functions at home.
• It includes a DIGITAL version of four different activities (including interactive GIFs!), which is perfect for teletherapy or for using with a tablet in speech.
• The variety of activities can cover on-the-go, push-in therapy, or speech room sessions.
• My students stay engaged with all of the hands-on learning tasks included.

Learn more about it on TPT here.  I hope some of these tips help you.  Let me know your favorite ideas on how you teach positional concepts to your students!