Learning prepositions can be quite difficult for individuals who are studying English as a second language. This is in part because some languages lack prepositional phrases: these languages convey the same meaning either through declensions, tonality or something similar. A craft can help such students visualize the meaning of English prepositions and remember it. However, some rote memorization may still be necessary, as many prepositions also can be conjunctions or other parts of speech in other circumstances.

Diagram
Many prepositions deal with the location of an object in regards to its environment. A simple way to help students visualize these relationships is by asking them to create a picture of a kitchen using construction paper. Have students begin with a blank room and then tell them to place objects using specific propositions. For example, a table would go “in” the kitchen, the dog would go “under” the table, and the chair would go “next” to it. This same activity also can be done using flannelgraph, which has the advantage of being reusable.

Card Game
A necessary component of learning prepositions is learning its role in a sentence. Ask students to write down preselected nouns, verbs and prepositions on a series of flashcards, and then ask them to draw a simple picture depicting the meaning of each word. They can then play a game using these cards. The first player sets down a card to represent the sentence’s subject, the next the verb and so on. Points are accumulated by the number of prepositions that the player can add to the sentence while still producing a viable construct.

Jigsaw Puzzles
Prepositions act as the link between separate ideas of a sentence. Students can create their own jigsaw puzzle that represents this concept. Ask students to draw a scene that contains two objects in relation with each other on one side of a blank page. On the back, have the students write out a sentence describing the two objects and their relationship to each other. Then ask them to draw a jigsaw grid separating each word into a puzzle piece. The preposition itself should completely separate the two sides of the sentence and be given a unique shape. Have the students cut the puzzle into pieces, scramble those pieces and then put it back together. Ask them to try first without using the preposition piece. The students will create two separate images, neither of which convey the full meaning of the original. Only by adding the preposition can the full meaning be completed.

Treasure Hunt
A treasure hunt will test your class’s mastery of prepositions. Split the students into two groups. Have each group devise a series of 10 clues, each using a prepositional phrase, that will lead the other group to a treasure that they will hide in the room. Once the clues are devised and the prize hidden, have the groups exchange their clues and see who can find the prize first. Not only will this test to see if students understand prepositions when they see them, it will also test if students can use the phrases correctly.