Nomenclature in the Lower Elementary

By Nieva Armstrong, Lower Elementary Teacher

We all know that the words we choose are important in communicating effectively. Children, as well, endeavor to be understood by others. They delight when they discover the words that their parents and other adults use to communicate with each other. We hear the children repeat them, along with the gestures they use while discussing the latest important or trivial things adults discuss.

Maria Montessori indeed recognized the children’s need for the language to express themselves clearly. That is why, when she observed the children taking delight in inspecting the leaves that have fallen on the ground, she thought of offering them the nomenclature to help them name the parts, forms, and shapes of leaves.

In the elementary, there are booklets and folders called classified nomenclatures. There are classified nomenclatures for the leaf, root, stem, flower, fruit, and seed. They use them when doing simple classification of plants. There are also nomenclatures dedicated to geometry, geography, and zoology, for example.

When these classified nomenclatures are presented to the children, the intention is not to make the children experts in taxonomy. They are presented to provide the children with the words to use when they are talking about specific topics of interest. When children use words that have learned, either from the materials or adults, they become fluent with the language. In their speech, they can be properly understood, because

they use precise words to express their thoughts.

Children’s language is continuously growing. When we talk with them it is our role as adults to use words that can help them communicate their thoughts and feelings clearly. When we use words like thingy, whatchamacallit, stuff, and other slang expressions, we are not serving these children. We are not helping them be understood outside of our home.