What is this skill?
A noun is a naming word. It names a person, a place or a thing, and in kindergarten, a thing usually means something a child can point to: a ball, a hat, a bus, a tree. Animals count too, so dog, fish and duck are nouns. You do not need the grammar word right away. At first the idea is just that some words name something, and other words tell what someone does or what something is like.
In this practice, each question shows a few words, each with a small picture. Children pick the word that names an animal, a person, a place or a thing, or the word that is a noun among words like eat, apple and dance. Some questions ask "Is this a naming word?" about a single word. There are sorting games too: nouns and not nouns (cat, run, hat, jump), people and things (mom, cup, baby, bike), and, in the hardest sort, people, places and things together with words like friend, kitchen, pencil and beach. The hardest choice questions flip around and ask which word is NOT a noun.
Why it matters
Sorting words into kinds is the first step into grammar, and it also makes writing more specific. A child who knows that a noun names something can ask, "Which thing am I writing about?" That helps when they label a drawing or tell a story.
Nouns are also the building block for what comes next. First grade pairs nouns with verbs, second grade adds adjectives that describe them, and later grades add pronouns that stand in for them. All of that rests on being able to point at a word and say that it names something.
Common mistakes
- Thinking only objects are nouns. A teacher or a park is a noun too. If your child hesitates, ask, "Is it a person, a place or a thing?" That three-part question works almost every time.
- Calling action words nouns because they are easy to picture. Run and jump come with a picture, but you cannot point to them in the room. Try, "Can I put it in a bag?" or "Can I do it?"
- Treating describing words as nouns. Happy, fast and sad are about how something is, not what it is. They get their own lessons in second grade.
- Getting stuck on words that can be two things, such as cook. A cook is a person, so it is a noun, but to cook is also an action. At this age the picture and the sentence will settle it.
How to help at home
- Go on a noun hunt in one room. Name five things you can see, then add a person and a place you have been today.
- Make three piles on a table: people, places and things. Cut pictures from a magazine or draw quick ones, and let your child sort them.
- Read a favorite picture book and point to the first noun on each page. Have your child point out one you did not see.
- Say a word and ask, "Naming word or doing word?" It takes a second and turns into a game on car rides.
Worked examples
These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus nouns: naming words practice, with the answers worked out.
Example 1
Which word names a place?
Choices: 🎤 sing, 😴 sleep, 🏞️ park
Answer: park. Park is the noun. A park is a place you can go. Sing and sleep are things you do.
Example 2
Sort the words. Nouns or not nouns?
To sort: 🌳 tree, 🎤 sing, 🚌 bus, 🏊 swim, 🦆 duck, 😴 sleep
Answer: Nouns: tree, bus, duck · Not nouns: sing, swim, sleep. Tree, bus, and duck are nouns. Sing, swim, and sleep are things you do.
Example 3
Which word is not a naming word?
Choices: 😢 sad, 👧 girl, 🏫 school, ⛵ boat
Answer: sad. Sad is not a noun. It tells how someone feels. Girl, school, and boat are nouns.
Printable worksheet (PDF) — one page of questions from this practice that work on paper, easier ones first, with an answer key on page 2. Free to print, no sign-up.