Teaching Your Child the Most Common First
It is said by educationists and teachers that vocabulary building is the first and most important step in learning any language. Since English is used as a second language in our country, so we usually need to start our young students with the alphabet and some basic vocabulary words which begin with those letters. Apart from only focusing on the alphabet and the common nouns/names beginning with those letters, it would also be good for a child in second language learning to learn how to use the most common nouns in speech or in writing. This exercise of being able to use the most common nouns in speech and then writing enables students to start using English for the most common purposes first. Children, apart from knowing about the alphabet and learning some common and proper nouns, will be able to have a good use of basic English if they start using the most common nouns in various oral and written sentences. According to Hagit (2005), the most common nouns used in English language are: time, person, year, way, day, thing, man, world, life, hand, part, child, eye, woman, place, work, week, case, point, government, company, number, group, problem and fact.
At grade levels one, two and three, a Montessori teacher of English can practice using these words meaningfully with the students by making short sentences first and then longer ones orally. She/he can use these common nouns in the classroom in sentences talking about school or classroom matters such as, ‘We must come to the class on time.’ ‘There is a strange person standing there and I must tell my teacher.’ ‘Students who work hard all year get good marks in the exams.’ ‘It is a beautiful world.’ ‘Life is a great blessing of God.’ ‘You must wash your hands before eating anything’, and so on. When the students are able enough to write anything, then the teacher can use these common nouns to give exercises to students to write down sentences on their own. These exercises will enable young kids to start having the basic use of English as a second language.
Students, in grade levels four or five can start using more common nouns in making everyday sentences. The teacher can also involve the students in display activities, such as writing classroom rules using these words, writing about themselves using these common words or writing about any of their favourite buildings or historical places using these words.
According to World English (2003), there is another complete and longer list of the most common nouns in the various forms of English used around the world, which are as follows: (English, 2003)
|
Rank
|
Word
|
Rank
|
Word
|
|
1
|
the
|
126
|
name
|
|
2
|
of
|
127
|
very
|
|
3
|
to
|
128
|
through
|
|
4
|
and
|
129
|
just
|
|
5
|
a
|
130
|
form
|
|
6
|
in
|
131
|
much
|
|
7
|
is
|
132
|
great
|
|
8
|
it
|
133
|
think
|
|
9
|
you
|
134
|
say
|
|
10
|
that
|
135
|
help
|
|
11
|
he
|
136
|
low
|
|
12
|
was
|
137
|
line
|
|
13
|
for
|
138
|
before
|
|
14
|
on
|
139
|
turn
|
|
15
|
are
|
140
|
cause
|
|
16
|
with
|
141
|
same
|
|
17
|
as
|
142
|
mean
|
|
18
|
I
|
143
|
differ
|
|
19
|
his
|
144
|
move
|
|
20
|
they
|
145
|
right
|
|
21
|
be
|
146
|
boy
|
|
22
|
at
|
147
|
old
|
|
23
|
one
|
148
|
too
|
|
24
|
Have
|
149
|
does
|
|
25
|
This
|
150
|
tell
|
|
26
|
From
|
151
|
sentence
|
|
27
|
Or
|
152
|
set
|
|
28
|
Had
|
153
|
three
|
|
29
|
By
|
154
|
want
|
|
30
|
Hot
|
155
|
air
|
|
31
|
But
|
156
|
well
|
|
32
|
Some
|
157
|
also
|
|
33
|
What
|
158
|
play
|
|
34
|
There
|
159
|
small
|
|
35
|
We
|
160
|
end
|
|
36
|
Can
|
161
|
put
|
|
37
|
Out
|
162
|
home
|
|
38
|
Other
|
163
|
read
|
|
39
|
Were
|
164
|
hand
|
|
40
|
All
|
165
|
port
|
|
41
|
Your
|
166
|
large
|
|
42
|
when
|
167
|
spell
|
|
43
|
up
|
168
|
add
|
|
44
|
use
|
169
|
even
|
|
45
|
word
|
170
|
land
|
|
46
|
how
|
171
|
here
|
|
47
|
said
|
172
|
must
|
|
48
|
an
|
173
|
big
|
|
49
|
each
|
174
|
high
|
|
50
|
she
|
175
|
such
|
|
51
|
which
|
176
|
follow
|
|
52
|
do
|
177
|
act
|
|
53
|
their
|
178
|
why
|
|
54
|
time
|
179
|
ask
|
|
55
|
if
|
180
|
men
|
|
56
|
will
|
181
|
change
|
|
57
|
way
|
182
|
went
|
|
58
|
about
|
183
|
light
|
|
59
|
many
|
184
|
kind
|
|
60
|
then
|
185
|
off
|
|
61
|
them
|
186
|
need
|
|
62
|
would
|
187
|
house
|
|
63
|
write
|
188
|
picture
|
|
64
|
like
|
189
|
try
|
|
65
|
so
|
190
|
us
|
|
66
|
these
|
191
|
again
|
|
67
|
her
|
192
|
animal
|
|
68
|
long
|
193
|
point
|
|
69
|
make
|
194
|
mother
|
|
70
|
thing
|
195
|
world
|
|
71
|
see
|
196
|
near
|
|
72
|
him
|
197
|
build
|
|
73
|
two
|
198
|
self
|
|
74
|
has
|
199
|
earth
|
|
75
|
look
|
200
|
father
|
|
76
|
more
|
201
|
head
|
|
77
|
day
|
202
|
stand
|
|
78
|
could
|
203
|
own
|
|
79
|
go
|
204
|
page
|
|
80
|
come
|
205
|
should
|
|
81
|
did
|
206
|
country
|
|
82
|
my
|
207
|
found
|
|
83
|
sound
|
208
|
answer
|
|
84
|
No
|
209
|
school
|
|
85
|
Most
|
210
|
grow
|
|
86
|
number
|
211
|
study
|
|
87
|
Who
|
212
|
still
|
|
88
|
Over
|
213
|
learn
|
|
89
|
Know
|
214
|
plant
|
|
90
|
Water
|
215
|
cover
|
|
91
|
Than
|
216
|
food
|
|
92
|
Call
|
217
|
sun
|
|
93
|
First
|
218
|
four
|
|
94
|
People
|
219
|
thought
|
|
95
|
may
|
220
|
let
|
|
96
|
down
|
221
|
keep
|
|
97
|
side
|
222
|
eye
|
|
98
|
been
|
223
|
never
|
|
99
|
now
|
224
|
last
|
|
100
|
find
|
225
|
door
|
|
101
|
any
|
226
|
between
|
|
102
|
new
|
227
|
city
|
|
103
|
work
|
228
|
tree
|
|
104
|
part
|
229
|
cross
|
|
105
|
take
|
230
|
since
|
|
106
|
get
|
231
|
hard
|
|
107
|
place
|
232
|
start
|
|
108
|
made
|
233
|
might
|
|
109
|
live
|
234
|
story
|
|
110
|
where
|
235
|
saw
|
|
111
|
after
|
236
|
far
|
|
112
|
back
|
237
|
sea
|
|
113
|
little
|
238
|
draw
|
|
114
|
only
|
239
|
left
|
|
115
|
round
|
240
|
late
|
|
116
|
man
|
241
|
run
|
|
117
|
year
|
242
|
don't
|
|
118
|
came
|
243
|
while
|
|
119
|
show
|
244
|
press
|
|
120
|
every
|
245
|
close
|
|
121
|
good
|
246
|
night
|
|
122
|
me
|
247
|
real
|
|
123
|
give
|
248
|
life
|
|
124
|
our
|
249
|
few
|
|
125
|
under
|
250
|
stop
|
|
|
Rank
|
Word
|
Rank
|
Word
|
|
251
|
open
|
376
|
ten
|
|
252
|
seem
|
377
|
simple
|
|
253
|
together
|
378
|
several
|
|
254
|
next
|
379
|
vowel
|
|
255
|
white
|
380
|
toward
|
|
256
|
children
|
381
|
war
|
|
257
|
begin
|
382
|
lay
|
|
258
|
got
|
383
|
against
|
|
259
|
walk
|
384
|
pattern
|
|
260
|
example
|
385
|
slow
|
|
261
|
ease
|
386
|
center
|
|
262
|
paper
|
387
|
love
|
|
263
|
often
|
388
|
person
|
|
264
|
always
|
389
|
money
|
|
265
|
music
|
390
|
serve
|
|
266
|
those
|
391
|
appear
|
|
267
|
both
|
392
|
road
|
|
268
|
mark
|
393
|
map
|
|
269
|
book
|
394
|
science
|
|
270
|
letter
|
395
|
rule
|
|
271
|
until
|
396
|
govern
|
|
272
|
mile
|
397
|
pull
|
|
273
|
river
|
398
|
cold
|
|
274
|
car
|
399
|
notice
|
|
275
|
feet
|
400
|
voice
|
|
276
|
care
|
401
|
fall
|
|
277
|
second
|
402
|
power
|
|
278
|
group
|
403
|
town
|
|
279
|
carry
|
404
|
fine
|
|
280
|
took
|
405
|
certain
|
|
281
|
rain
|
406
|
fly
|
|
282
|
eat
|
407
|
unit
|
|
283
|
room
|
408
|
lead
|
|
284
|
friend
|
409
|
cry
|
|
285
|
began
|
410
|
dark
|
|
286
|
idea
|
411
|
machine
|
|
287
|
fish
|
412
|
note
|
|
288
|
mountain
|
413
|
wait
|
|
289
|
north
|
414
|
plan
|
|
290
|
once
|
415
|
figure
|
|
291
|
base
|
416
|
star
|
|
292
|
hear
|
417
|
box
|
|
293
|
horse
|
418
|
noun
|
|
294
|
cut
|
419
|
field
|
|
295
|
sure
|
420
|
rest
|
|
296
|
watch
|
421
|
correct
|
|
297
|
color
|
422
|
able
|
|
298
|
face
|
423
|
pound
|
|
299
|
wood
|
424
|
done
|
|
300
|
main
|
425
|
beauty
|
|
301
|
enough
|
426
|
drive
|
|
302
|
plain
|
427
|
stood
|
|
303
|
girl
|
428
|
contain
|
|
304
|
usual
|
429
|
front
|
|
305
|
young
|
430
|
teach
|
|
306
|
ready
|
431
|
week
|
|
307
|
above
|
432
|
final
|
|
308
|
ever
|
433
|
gave
|
|
309
|
red
|
434
|
green
|
|
310
|
list
|
435
|
oh
|
|
311
|
though
|
436
|
quick
|
|
312
|
feel
|
437
|
develop
|
|
313
|
talk
|
438
|
sleep
|
|
314
|
bird
|
439
|
warm
|
|
315
|
soon
|
440
|
free
|
|
316
|
body
|
441
|
minute
|
|
317
|
dog
|
442
|
strong
|
|
318
|
family
|
443
|
special
|
|
319
|
direct
|
444
|
mind
|
|
320
|
pose
|
445
|
behind
|
|
321
|
leave
|
446
|
clear
|
|
322
|
song
|
447
|
tail
|
|
323
|
measure
|
448
|
produce
|
|
324
|
state
|
449
|
fact
|
|
325
|
product
|
450
|
street
|
|
326
|
black
|
451
|
inch
|
|
327
|
short
|
452
|
lot
|
|
328
|
numeral
|
453
|
nothing
|
|
329
|
class
|
454
|
course
|
|
330
|
wind
|
455
|
stay
|
|
331
|
question
|
456
|
wheel
|
|
332
|
happen
|
457
|
full
|
|
333
|
complete
|
458
|
force
|
|
334
|
ship
|
459
|
blue
|
|
335
|
area
|
460
|
object
|
|
336
|
half
|
461
|
decide
|
|
337
|
rock
|
462
|
surface
|
|
338
|
order
|
463
|
deep
|
|
339
|
fire
|
464
|
moon
|
|
340
|
south
|
465
|
island
|
|
341
|
problem
|
466
|
foot
|
|
342
|
piece
|
467
|
yet
|
|
343
|
told
|
468
|
busy
|
|
344
|
knew
|
469
|
test
|
|
345
|
pass
|
470
|
record
|
|
346
|
farm
|
471
|
boat
|
|
347
|
top
|
472
|
common
|
|
348
|
whole
|
473
|
gold
|
|
349
|
king
|
474
|
possible
|
|
350
|
size
|
475
|
plane
|
|
351
|
heard
|
476
|
age
|
|
352
|
best
|
477
|
dry
|
|
353
|
hour
|
478
|
wonder
|
|
354
|
better
|
479
|
laugh
|
|
355
|
true .
|
480
|
thousand
|
|
356
|
during
|
481
|
ago
|
|
357
|
hundred
|
482
|
ran
|
|
358
|
am
|
483
|
check
|
|
359
|
remember
|
484
|
game
|
|
360
|
step
|
485
|
shape
|
|
361
|
early
|
486
|
yes
|
|
362
|
hold
|
487
|
hot
|
|
363
|
west
|
488
|
miss
|
|
364
|
ground
|
489
|
brought
|
|
365
|
interest
|
490
|
heat
|
|
366
|
reach
|
491
|
snow
|
|
367
|
fast
|
492
|
bed
|
|
368
|
five
|
493
|
bring
|
|
369
|
sing
|
494
|
sit
|
|
370
|
listen
|
495
|
perhaps
|
|
371
|
six
|
496
|
fill
|
|
372
|
table
|
497
|
east
|
|
373
|
travel
|
498
|
weight
|
|
374
|
less
|
499
|
language
|
|
375
|
morning
|
500
|
among
|
|
Students can be enabled to use this long list of common nouns in speech and writing tasks at grade levels three, four or five. They can be asked to use these words orally in describing various things in class and later write descriptive paragraphs and then short essays on any simple topic using a small and relevant list of these common words. When introducing our young learners to English as a second language, it is always more meaningful to have a knowledge of the most commonly used nouns or words, but also an opportunity to use them step by step to develop their communicative competence.
References:
Borer, Hagit. 2005. In Name Only. Structuring Sense, Volume I. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
English, W. (2003, August Tuesday ). World English. Retrieved from World English Organization : http://www.world-english.org/esl.htm
