# First Words: Prepositions & Spatial Words for Toddlers

Little Wheels Talk & Listen teaches 20+ preposition and spatial words through vehicle play—essential for following directions and understanding the world.

## Why Prepositions Matter for Late Talkers

Prepositions are among the first 50 words children typically learn. They're crucial for:
- Following directions ("Put the truck IN the box")
- Understanding stories ("The car went UNDER the bridge")
- Spatial awareness and safety ("Stay BEHIND the line")
- Building longer sentences ("The bus is going TO school")

## Preposition Words in Talk & Listen

### Location Words (Where Things Are)
in, on, under, over, behind, next to, between, inside, outside, beside

### Movement Words (Where Things Go)
up, down, through, around, across, into, out of, toward, away from

### Vehicle Context Examples
- **Excavator**: Digs IN the dirt, dumps dirt OUT
- **Tunnel**: Train goes THROUGH, car goes UNDER
- **Parking Garage**: Cars go UP and DOWN, park BETWEEN lines
- **Bridge**: Vehicles go OVER the water, boats go UNDER
- **Fire Station**: Truck comes OUT, firefighters climb UP

## How Talk & Listen Teaches Prepositions

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Word Families
Each vehicle naturally demonstrates spatial concepts:
- Dump truck: "up, down, in, out, dump"
- Forklift: "up, down, lift, under, over"
- Helicopter: "up, down, over, around"

### Layer 2: Category Gateways
The Excavator → Build Zone gateway teaches:
- in, out, on, off, up, down, under, over, behind, through, around

### Layer 3: Interactive Stories
Vehicle Tales use prepositions in context:
- "The fire truck drove THROUGH the tunnel"
- "The helicopter flew OVER the city"
- "The submarine went UNDER the water"

## Practice Tips for Parents

### During Play
- Narrate vehicle movements: "The car is going UP the ramp"
- Ask location questions: "Where is the truck? UNDER the table!"
- Give directions using prepositions: "Put the bus IN the garage"

### During Reading
- Point to pictures: "Look, the plane is ABOVE the clouds"
- Pause for child to fill in: "The train went... THROUGH the tunnel!"
- Act out with toy vehicles

## Age-Appropriate Expectations

### 18-24 months
First prepositions: in, on, up, down

### 2-3 years
Adding: under, out, off, behind, next to

### 3-4 years
Complex: through, around, between, across

## Related Resources

- /llm/first-words-action-verbs.txt — Verbs that pair with prepositions
- /llm/category-gateway-vocabulary.txt — Excavator Build Zone words
- /llm/talk-listen.txt — Complete app overview