Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

child development, cognitive functions, eye gaze, fast mapping, language, learning

Disciplines

Child Psychology | Developmental Psychology

Abstract

The ability to learn new words requires the use of numerous cognitive functions. It is expected that from the time a child begins speaking around 12 months of age to about six years old, children learn approximately 14,000 words (Templin, 1957 as cited in Brady & Goodman, 2014).  From an early age, children are exposed to the language used around them and slowly develop their own use of language through recognition of objects, combination of phonemes, and memorization of visual and auditory stimuli. In order to successfully master language and learn new words, a child must integrate these processes to not only develop a word, but also understand its meaning and store it in long term memory. This is, in part, accomplished through the phonological loop, which identifies the connection between the stored phonological information as well as the visual, auditory and somatosensory stimuli with which it is associated.

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