Word Garden: Naming and Doing Words

Word Garden is Rita's grammar world. Children learn that some words name things, some words do things and some words describethem. It is the first step from simple sentences (“The dog barked”) towards richer ones (“The fluffy dog barked loudly”), and it helps with reading too: naming words tell us who or what a story is about, and doing words tell us what is happening.

The words we use with children

We use friendly names first and the grown-up name beside them. Every word type also has its own colour and shape, so it never depends on telling colours apart.

Naming word (noun): You can put “the” in front of it.
Doing word (verb): You can say “I can ___”.
Describing word (adjective): You can put “very” in front of it.

The games

Sort the Words

A word appears — with a picture when there is one — and your child taps the basket it belongs in: naming word or doing word. A speaker button reads the word aloud for children who are still learning to read.

Find the Word

A short sentence appears, such as “The dog barked.” Your child is asked to tap the naming word or the doing word. They can hear the sentence read aloud first.

A wrong tap never ends a question: your child keeps trying until they find the right one, but only a first-try answer counts towards the round. There is no timer.

How it teaches

Real sentences, not just flash cards. At later levels, words are found inside sentences, because grammar sticks best when it is tied to meaning.
Simple tests instead of definitions. A naming word is one you can put “the” in front of; a doing word is one you can say “I can ___” with; a describing word is one you can put “very” in front of. Each level can show these as hints.
Words that change jobs are handled carefully. A word like “paint” can be a naming word or a doing word. Those are never shown on their own, only inside sentences where the job is clear.
Every word and sentence is checked by a person. Content is drafted with help from software, but a grown-up confirms each word's type in our admin tools before any child can see it.

The levels

Word Garden uses the same levels as your child's reading curriculum, in the same order, so the words stay at a difficulty they can already read. A grown-up chooses, for each curriculum, whether Word Garden is on and how it plays at each level: which word types are sorted, which games are open and how many passing rounds in a row unlock the next level. Early levels usually start with sorting naming and doing words; later levels open Find the Word so children spot the words inside real sentences.

Later levels will add describing words and building sentences. Our team can change how Word Garden plays at any time, so what your child sees may be a little different from this description.

How children level up

A round passes when most answers are right first time (80% by default). Pass enough rounds in a row at a level and the next level unlocks with a celebration. A round that is not passed simply restarts the streak: nothing is taken away.

Practise earlier levels

On the Word Garden page your child can tap a finished level to practise it again for fun. Practice never changes their level, so they can replay favourites without any pressure.

What parents can see

Open your child's progress page and look for the Word Garden card: their level, streak and stars, accuracy in each game and their latest rounds.

Common mix-ups

The card also shows which kinds of word got confused most — for example naming words sorted as doing words — with a short tip you can use at home for each.

Helping at home

Play “spot the word” on walks: “Dog — can I say ‘the dog’? Yes! It's a naming word.”
Act out doing words together: jump, clap, sing. If you can do it, it is a doing word.
Make sentences up as a family and ask which word is the naming word and which is the doing word.

For children

Pop each word in its basket! 🧺 Naming words name things, and doing words tell what someone is doing. Wrong? Just try again — you'll get it. 🌱