Teaching Prepositions of Movement – Free ESL Lesson Plan

A preposition is a word that connects a noun phrase with another part of a sentence; it is usually said or written before a noun. This free ESL lesson plan covers how to use prepositions of movement and direction. Where are they going? Where are they coming from? Keep reading to find out how to help elementary level students grasp the usage of to, toward, from, and away from.

How to Teach Prepositions of Movement

This introductory lesson plan, part of a six-part series, introduces the four common prepositions of movement: to, toward, from, and away from. Remember to check the student’s understanding of destination and moving in a direction when using this lesson plan.

When should we use to, toward, from, and away from?

  • To is used to show the destination.
  • Toward is used to show in the direction of.
  • From describes the origin of an object.
  • Away from describes movement departing the origin of an object.

To help students understand these concepts, this lesson spends a substantial portion of the slides walking through various examples of prepositions of movement. Students will have plenty of opportunities to practice building sentences that include to, toward, from, and away from.

When to Teach Prepositions of Movement

“Prepositions of Movement” is a free ESL lesson plan download aimed at students with elementary levels and above. It is perfect for both individuals and groups, to help understand origin and differentiate between direction and destination.

The slides are playful and illustrated with many pictures and fun examples to keep your student engaged and motivated.

You can download the lesson plan here:

If you are looking for even more information on how to teach this lesson plan, be sure to download a free Off2Class account. You will gain access to teacher notes that will guide and prepare you. 

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2 Comments

  • Jacquie Hanley says:

    February 23, 2024 at 2:45 pm

    Hello, I need more lessons on Real World Tasks at the Foundational Literacy level. For example, how to open a bank account. I also need lessons for a younger audience of ESL learners that would keep them entertained throughout. They need less wording and more gamification. Is this possible witht he membership I have and if not, what are your plans for expansion into other markets like ESL for young children and young teens?

    • Christine Chan says:

      March 28, 2024 at 10:09 am

      Hi Jacquie,

      We’ll be releasing literacy lessons this year, so keep a look out for that!

      For young learners, here is a list (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t2PvdboqPTpNkwIiLMFkqkvxEUkKTC2YndllwEhqp8o/edit?usp=sharing) of Young Learner-friendly thematic lessons focusing on the Speaking Activities, Reading Activities, Vocabulary and Functional Language that can be drawn upon for traditional O2C format ‘synchronous lesson followed by HW’ or flipped approach ‘straight to HW’ which is especially useful for the Speaking Activities and Reading Activities.

      Hope this helps!
      Christine

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