9 pairs of opposites
Size (big and small, long and short, tall and short), position (on and under, inside and outside, in front and behind, near and far) and quantity (many and few, full and empty).
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Teaching Guide: Basic Concepts in Preschool
Basic concepts (big and small, inside and outside, on and under, many and few…) are the first words children use to make sense of the world, and a foundation for maths and language. This free basic concepts worksheet generator builds A4 worksheets for ages 3 to 5 with our own pictures, a short instruction with a pictogram and an answer key.
- For
- Pre-K & K Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, K (ages 3-5)
- Subject
- Early Years › Basic Concepts
- Includes
- Student sheet and answer key
- Format
- A4, to print or save as PDF; new exercises every time
- Price
- Free, no sign-up
- Available in
- Catalan, Spanish, English
Student worksheet 
Answer key Four activities
Circle, colour or cross out the right picture, or draw what is asked: a ball under the table, a taller tower, lots of apples in the basket.
Difficulty by age
At age 3, two very different pictures; at age 4, three with one in between; at age 5, four with small differences, different objects and amounts to count.
For pre-readers
Every exercise has a pictogram of the action (circle, colour, cross out or draw) and a short sentence for the teacher to read aloud.
Black and white
Thick line drawings with no backgrounds, made for colouring and for printing or photocopying in black and white.
Answer key
The same worksheet with the right picture circled, crossed out or marked in red, and an example of what to draw.
Frequently Asked Questions about Basic Concepts Worksheets
Which level should I pick for each age?
Easy at age 3 (two pictures, one for each opposite), Medium at age 4 (three pictures, with one in between) and Hard at age 5 (four pictures with small differences). If a child finds it easy, move on to the next level.
How do children know what to do if they cannot read yet?
Every exercise starts with a pictogram of the action: a circled picture, a crayon, a cross or a pencil. The sentence is short so the teacher or a parent can read it aloud.
Is the answer always clear?
Yes. Every scene is built from its data (the size, where the object is, how many there are, how full it is) and in every exercise only one picture matches the instruction. At the higher levels the other pictures are in between or in a neutral place (beside a table or a bush), never doubtful.
What do the drawing activities ask for?
It depends on the concept: draw an object bigger, longer or taller than the model, draw a ball, an apple or a flower in a place (under the table, inside the box, far from the house), draw many or a few things, or fill a glass. The answer key shows an example.
Can I mix concepts and activities on one worksheet?
Yes. Add as many exercises as you like of each concept, activity and level; every exercise has its own instruction. On the sheet you can move them up, down or drag them to change the order, and mix them with exercises from other generators, such as visual discrimination.
Is any data sent to a server?
No. The worksheets are made in your browser and templates are saved in your browser's memory.
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