Position and direction - Vocabulary

In the Year 2 curriculum for Position and Direction, students are introduced to a range of vocabulary that describes movement and location. 'Direction' refers to the path that is taken when a person or object moves. For instance, 'up' is defined as a movement from a lower to a higher place, while 'down' is the opposite, indicating a descent from higher to lower. The terms 'left' and 'right' are fundamental directions that need to be understood, and 'forwards' signifies movement towards an object, with 'backwards' being the reverse.

'Position' refers to the specific place where something is located. This can be expressed in various ways, such as an object being 'behind' or 'next to' another. Additionally, the curriculum covers turns, with 'quarter turn', 'half turn', 'full turn', and 'three-quarter turn' describing the extent of rotation. The direction of these turns is further specified by 'clockwise' and 'anti-clockwise'. Understanding these concepts is crucial for students, as they form the basis for describing and predicting the movement and position of objects in space. The curriculum also introduces 'patterns', which involve a repeated design or sequence, such as a shape turning a half turn repeatedly.