New parents can’t wait to hear their baby’s first word…..but now we’re learning just how important that first word is.
According to new research by Florida State University’s psychology department learning words like “mama” and “dada” paves the way for them to bolster their vocabularies with related words.
The researchers said Knowing “mama” or “dada” might lead to “sister” or “brother.” Similarly, kids who know “toy” could say “doll” or “game” soon.
When confronted with new words, knowledge in regards to similar ones helps kids “talk up a storm.”
The research found that “Children leverage their early word knowledge to help them unlock their language skills. “Knowing a few related words helps children recognize links between new word meanings, and this could be a very useful strategy for helping children learn vocabulary early in life. This might be part of the explanation for why children begin to start ‘talking up a storm’ between the ages of 18-24 months.”
In another study researchers looked at how 32 two-year-olds built their vocabularies. The team used a computer program to show the toddlers items familiar to them to test the kids’ knowledge on certain words, and then researchers interviewed toddlers’ parents on their language use.
They found that children recognized the new words more easily when they already knew related words. This suggested that by using a child’s vocabulary, they could find out which words would be easier or more difficult to learn, based on their age.