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Concepts

Basic Concepts

Size, quantity, position, quality and time words.

Mastered by
ASHA places comparatives and location words in the 3-to-4-year band, and time words, rhyming and blending word parts in the 4-to-5-year band
Practice items
40
Sections
4

What this skill is

Basic concepts are the vocabulary that classroom directions are built out of - "put the BIGGEST one on TOP," "circle the ones that are the SAME," "do that one LAST." They are not really about the words themselves; they are about the underlying comparison the words describe, which is why a child can label a big truck and still fail "give me the bigger one."

What to expect

Concepts come in matched pairs, and children reliably learn one half before the other. "Big" comes before "little." "More" comes before "less." "Tall" before "short." When a child does not yet have the second half, they usually treat it as a synonym for the first - ask for "less" and they hand you more.

Try this at home

Teach concepts where they naturally live rather than on a worksheet. Snack time covers more/less, empty/full, and same/different. Getting dressed covers first/next/last and on/off. A single well-narrated routine beats twenty flashcards.

When to refer

Struggling with size and quantity concepts by 4;0, or unable to follow two-concept directions ("the little red one") by 5;0.

Print it

Basic Concepts worksheet40 items across 4 sections, with answer key · PDF

Size Concepts

10 items

Read each question out loud and have the child answer.

  1. 1.Which is bigger, an elephant or a mouse?An elephant
  2. 2.Which is smaller, an ant or a dog?An ant
  3. 3.Which is taller, a tree or a flower?A tree
  4. 4.Which is shorter, a pencil or a baseball bat?A pencil
  5. 5.Which is longer, a train or a car?A train
  6. 6.Which is wider, a road or a sidewalk?A road
  7. 7.Which is thicker, a dictionary or a comic book?A dictionary
  8. 8.Which is tiny, a crumb or a cake?A crumb
  9. 9.Which is huge, a whale or a goldfish?A whale
  10. 10.Which is narrow, a hallway or a gym?A hallway

Quantity Concepts

10 items

Use real objects (crackers, blocks, coins) as you ask each question.

  1. 1.Show me more blocks.The larger group
  2. 2.Show me less juice.The smaller amount
  3. 3.Show me all of the crayons.Every crayon
  4. 4.Show me none of the crayons.An empty hand
  5. 5.Show me some of the blocks.Part of the group
  6. 6.Which cup is full?The one filled to the top
  7. 7.Which cup is empty?The one with nothing in it
  8. 8.Show me a few crackers.Two or three
  9. 9.Show me many crackers.A large handful
  10. 10.Show me half of the cookie.One of two equal pieces

Position and Order Concepts

10 items

Line up three toys in a row and use them for these questions.

  1. 1.Which toy is first?The one at the front
  2. 2.Which toy is last?The one at the end
  3. 3.Which toy is in the middle?The center one
  4. 4.Point to the top of the page.The upper edge
  5. 5.Point to the bottom of the page.The lower edge
  6. 6.Which is the front of the car?The end with the headlights
  7. 7.Which is the back of the car?The end with the trunk
  8. 8.Show me the one on the left.The left-side item
  9. 9.Show me the one on the right.The right-side item
  10. 10.Put a block between the two cups.Block in the middle

Quality and Time Concepts

10 items

Read each question and have the child answer or point.

  1. 1.Are these two socks the same or different?Same if they match
  2. 2.Which one is hot, the soup or the ice cream?The soup
  3. 3.Which one is wet, the towel from the bath or the towel in the closet?The towel from the bath
  4. 4.Which is soft, a pillow or a rock?A pillow
  5. 5.Which is fast, a cheetah or a turtle?A cheetah
  6. 6.Which is heavy, a brick or a feather?A brick
  7. 7.Do we brush our teeth before or after we eat?After
  8. 8.What comes first, putting on socks or putting on shoes?Socks
  9. 9.Is it day or night when the sun is out?Day
  10. 10.Which is loud, a whisper or a drum?A drum