Scientists at the University of East Anglia have figured out why some children learn words more slowly. As it turned out, children with a large vocabulary quickly paid attention to the objects shown to them when learning new words. Children who knew fewer words shifted their gaze from object to object and back and spent more time on it. The results of the research have been published magazine developmental science
“At the age of about two, children quickly begin to identify what a new word means. This is because many of their first words are names of objects that are somewhat similar to each other. A coherent picture appears in the baby’s head: if you hear a new word, other objects of the same shape are likely to be called that way. This helps them learn new words quickly, as they immediately understand what a new word means,” the authors write.
66 children aged between one and a half and two and a half years participated in the study. Prior to the start of the experiment, the authors collected data on the participants’ vocabulary. During the experiment, the scientists showed the children objects made of clay, plaster, foam, thread and plastic mesh. The researchers then told the children the names of the objects and asked what other things could be named the same way. Throughout the game, the researchers watched the toddlers’ eye movements.
Children who can say more words look faster at objects that have the same shape as the object in question. Children who knew fewer words shifted their gaze from object to object and back and needed more time.
The results obtained will help identify children with language delay at an earlier stage.