How do children learn that hundreds of objects that look different can all be “cups”? In this episode of Beyond Words, host Garrett Oyama, MS, CCC-SLP, is joined by developmental and vision scientist Bria Long, PhD, to examine how children use everyday visual experiences to build concepts and connect those concepts with language.
Drawing from research in developmental psychology, vision science, naturalistic head-camera recordings, and computational modeling, Bria shares what researchers are learning about the world from a child’s point of view. She discusses how patterns in children’s visual experiences may help them form meaningful categories, and why conceptual knowledge can develop even before a child is able to name an object.
The episode also looks at research using large-scale, child-centered datasets to better understand the visual and linguistic environments children experience in everyday life. Garrett and Bria consider what this research may tell us about word learning, category development, and the relationship between knowing what something is and knowing what to call it.
For SLPs, these findings offer a broader way to think about what it means to “know” a word. The discussion considers why varied examples may support generalization and how language intervention can go beyond teaching labels to help children build richer, more flexible concepts that support meaningful language learning.
Drawing from research in developmental psychology, vision science, naturalistic head-camera recordings, and computational modeling, Bria shares what researchers are learning about the world from a child’s point of view. She discusses how patterns in children’s visual experiences may help them form meaningful categories, and why conceptual knowledge can develop even before a child is able to name an object.
The episode also looks at research using large-scale, child-centered datasets to better understand the visual and linguistic environments children experience in everyday life. Garrett and Bria consider what this research may tell us about word learning, category development, and the relationship between knowing what something is and knowing what to call it.
For SLPs, these findings offer a broader way to think about what it means to “know” a word. The discussion considers why varied examples may support generalization and how language intervention can go beyond teaching labels to help children build richer, more flexible concepts that support meaningful language learning.
