John (noun) did (verb) his homework (predicate noun) on the table.

(WHERE did he do his homework?)

Preposition: on the table.

Don’t know if it will apply to adults but children love the old cartoon I grew up on “conjunction, junction, what’s your function?” It teaches simple words that clue us in on prepositions.

Busy Prepositions

Like a butterfly, or a like bee

Like an ant, as busy as can be

These little words we call the “busy P’s”

Prepositions

Nine or ten of them

Do most all of the work

Of, on, to, with, in, from

By, for, at, over, across

And many others do their jobs,

Which is simply to connect

Their noun or pronoun object

To some other word in the sentence.

Busy p’s,

If you please.

“On the top is where you are!”

Top relates to where you are.

“With a friend you’ll travel far!”

With a friend you’ll go.

“If you try you know that you can fly

Over the rainbow!”

Over the rainbow is where you can fly.

Busy prepositions,

Always on the go.

Like a bunch of busy bees,

Floating pollen on the breeze.

Buzzing over the meadows,

Beyond the forest,

Through the trees,

In to the beehive.

Busy, busy P’s

In, to, beyond, over, on, through!

Busy prepositions always out in front,

On the edges, in the crack.

‘Round the corner, from the back.

In between the action.

Stating clearly to your satisfaction,

The location and direction.

Prepositions give specific information.

Though little words they are,

They never stand alone

Gathering words behind them,

You soon will see how they have grown

Into a parade; a prepositional phrase.

With a noun, or at least a pronoun, bringing up the rear.

A little phrase of two or three or four or more words.

Prepositions! Attention! Forward, March!

Busy prepositions,

Always on the march.

Like a horde of solider ants,

Inching bravely forward on the slimmest chance

That they might better their positions.

Busy, busy prepositions.

In the air, on the ground, everywhere.

The sun sank lower in the west.

“In the west it sank.”

And it will rise in the morning,

And will bring the light of day;

We say the sun comes up in the east every day!

“In the east it rises.”

Busy prepositions,

Busy, busy, busy!

On the top is where you are!

On the top.

If you try you know that you can fly!

Fly where?

Over the rainbow.

Draw a box and a table on a writing surface for the students to see.

A prepostion will answer any question about where or direction. The cat went FROM the box to the house, jumped ON the top of the table, fell OFF the table, walked THROUGH the legs of the table, etc. House and doorways are okay. Maps. Cars. Got it?

Good luck.