The words "above" and "below" describe vertical spatial relationships. "Above" means higher up; "below" means lower down. Understanding these helps children follow directions and describe location.
Use physical demonstrations in the classroom. Place objects above and below a line or table. Use children's bodies: "Stand above the line. Stand below the line." Read books with positional words and point them out.
Children may confuse above and below or not understand the vertical dimension. They may use inaccurate language like "on top" and "under" when above/below is meant.
Above and below are words that describe where something is in the up-and-down direction. If something is above you, it is higher up — like the ceiling of your classroom, or birds flying in the sky. If something is below you, it is lower down — like the floor under your feet, or a fish swimming at the bottom of a tank. These two words are opposites: if the shelf is above the floor, then the floor is below the shelf. The same relationship works both ways.
The most important idea is that above and below depend on a reference point. Imagine a sandwich on a plate on a table. The plate is above the table but below the sandwich. The table is above the floor but below the plate. Nothing is just "above" or just "below" on its own — it is always above or below *something else*. When you use these words, you are describing a relationship between two things, not a fixed location.
Your body is a great tool for learning these words. Your head is above your shoulders. Your feet are below your knees. When you raise your hand above your head, it goes higher than your head. When you put a book on the floor and stand over it, you are above the book. Noticing above and below in everyday life — the sun above the horizon, worms below the ground, clouds above the mountains — helps these words become automatic. Later, in math, you will use "above" and "below" to describe positions on number lines and graphs, so building a clear picture of the up-and-down direction now will help you understand those tools when you meet them.