What Are Basic Concepts? How to Teach Early Language Skills in Daily Routines

In speech and language development, basic concepts are words that describe relationships between people, objects, space, time, and quantity.

They help children follow directions, describe objects, and understand how things relate to one another.

You might hear a speech therapist refer to these using more formal terms:

Types of Basic Concepts

Qualitative: describes what something is like, big/small, hot/cold, same/different, fast/slow

Quantitative: describes how much or how many more/less, all/some, none, few, many

Locative: describes where something is in, on, under, behind, next to, or over

Temporal: describes when something happens first/next/last, before/after, now/later

Sequential: Helps describe the order of actions or steps, “First you brush, then you rinse”.

Comparative: Compares two or more items, bigger, smaller, tallest, longer

Why Basic Concepts are Important

  • Build descriptive language

  • Strengthen comprehension for tasks at home and school

  • Lay the foundation for reading and math

Now that we have the ‘what’ and ‘why’ out of the way, let’s get into ‘how’ to teach them.

Basic Concepts During Daily Routines

During Play:

  • Location: “Let’s put the bear in the box. Now he’s on top!”

  • Size: “Do you want the big ball or the small one?”

  • Same/different: “These blocks are the same. This one is different.”

During Mealtime:

  • Quantity: “Would you like more crackers?” “Oh no, we have none left!”

  • Time: “First we eat, then we wash hands.”

  • Color: “Look — your plate is red!”

  • Size: “Hand me the longest spoon.”

At School:

  • Location: “Write your name at the top of the paper.”

  • Time: “We get a drink after recess.”

  • Quantity: “This bottle of glue is empty.”

  • Color: “Go sit in the red chair.”

During Storytime:

  • Ask concept questions: “Who is behind the tree?” “Which one is the biggest?”

  • Point to pictures and describe using size, location, and quantity

What concepts would you use to talk about the picture from the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears below?

Tips for Supporting Concept Development

  • Repeat key words often and naturally

  • Use visuals or gestures (e.g., point under the table)

  • Give your child choices: “Do you want the toy on the shelf or under the chair?”

  • Pair concepts with actions (e.g., “Jump over the pillow!”)

  • Practice opposites during movement games

Basic concepts may seem, well... basic — but they’re anything but simple when it comes to supporting your child’s language development.

The good news? You’re probably teaching them already without even realizing it.

With just a little more intention, you can build your child’s understanding of these powerful little words every single day.

Illustration Credits: Kari Bolt, Bunny on a Cloud

Parent EducationLia Kurtin