Shape & Space

Position and Direction: Left, Right, Up, Down, Before, After

Junior Infants · Senior Infants · 1st Class · 2nd Class

✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to identify and use the terms 'left' and 'right' to describe position.
✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to identify and use the terms 'up' and 'down' to describe vertical movement or position.
✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to identify and use the terms 'before' and 'after' to describe order or sequence.
✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to follow simple instructions involving position and direction.

Key concepts

Left

Left means a specific side or direction. If you hold up your left hand, it's the hand that makes an 'L' shape with your thumb and index finger.

Right

Right means the opposite side or direction to left. If you hold up your right hand, it's the hand that doesn't make an 'L' shape.

Up means moving towards the sky or the ceiling. When you jump, you go up!

Down

Down means moving towards the ground or the floor. When you sit, you go down!

Before

Before means coming earlier in time or in front of something in a line. For example, Monday comes before Tuesday.

After

After means coming later in time or behind something in a line. For example, Tuesday comes after Monday.

Key facts to remember

1Your left hand is on your left side.
2Your right hand is on your right side.
3Up is towards the sky.
4Down is towards the ground.
5Before means earlier or in front.
6After means later or behind.
7Practise using your body to identify left and right.

Worked examples

Example 1

Look at the picture of a house with a tree on one side and a car on the other. Which object is on the left side of the house?

IImagine you are facing the house.

IIPoint to your left hand.

IIISee which object is on that side of the house.

Answer

The tree is on the left side of the house.

You can use your own left hand to help you remember!

Example 2

The bird flew from the ground to the top of the tree. Did the bird fly up or down?

IThink about where the ground is (down).

IIThink about where the top of the tree is (up).

IIIWhen something moves from down to up, what direction is it going?

Answer

The bird flew up.

Up is towards the sky, down is towards the ground.

Example 3

In the sequence: cat, dog, mouse. Which animal comes after the dog?

ILook at the sequence of animals: cat, dog, mouse.

IIFind the dog in the sequence.

IIISee which animal comes next, immediately after the dog.

Answer

The mouse comes after the dog.

Before means earlier, after means later.

Common mistakes

✗Confusing 'left' and 'right', especially when turning around.
✗Forgetting that 'before' means earlier and 'after' means later in a sequence.
✗Not understanding that 'up' and 'down' refer to vertical movement.
✗Mixing up 'before' and 'after' when describing objects in a line.

Exam tips

★Always listen carefully to the instructions.
★Use your own body (like your hands) to help you remember left and right.
★Look at pictures and objects carefully to see their position.
★Think about the order of things when you hear 'before' or 'after'.

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