A study from The University of Manchester explores how young children understand the meaning of words. Children slowly fine-tune their word meanings as they hear more language, initially grasping a general idea of what words mean. The researchers conducted an experiment with children aged three to eight, focusing on size comparisons. They found that children’s understanding of size comparison words became more precise with age. By age 5, children generally understood that smaller meant using fewer blocks, and by age 7, they recognized that taller meant specifically ‘up’. Exposure to words in conversations with caregivers influenced children’s understanding. The study sheds light on how children learn language.
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Research reveals how children develop understanding of words
