Jean AitchisonProfessor of Language and Communication

in University of Oxford

She identified 3 stages of how children develop links between words and meanings:labelling packaging network building

Labelling: associating a sound/utterance with an object.

E.g applying “cat” to a particular animal

Packaging: exploring the extent of the label E.g a “cat” isn’t the same as a snail or fish. This is when most over/under extensions take

place.

Network building: Making links between learned words, their similarities, differences and other relatioships.

E.g identifying that a lion or tiger is a type of a cat but being able to distinguish them apart.

Children’s language doesn’t simply require remembering labels and applying them…

It involves building ‘mind maps’ and associating things with each other, being able to use different words in different contexts as a part of developing complex language skills in the future.