Which statement about vocabulary development in early childhood is supported by the material?

Which statement about vocabulary development in early childhood is supported by the material?

• A. At age 3-4, children typically learn 8-9 words per day, reaching about 1000 words by age 4
• B. By age 3-4, you know all common words
• C. Vocabulary grows only after formal schooling
• D. Private speech stops

Answer: (A)

Vocabulary grows rapidly in the preschool years, with children picking up many new words through daily conversation, reading aloud, and varied experiences. A commonly cited pattern is that children learn about eight to nine new words each day, reaching roughly a thousand words by age four. This captures the typical pace and size of vocabulary development at this stage, showing how quickly early language expands with rich exposure. Why this fits best: it reflects the well-supported idea that preschoolers are rapidly building their word knowledge before formal schooling, often reaching around a thousand words by age four. The other statements don’t align with how language develops: no child knows all common words by age four, since vocabulary continues to grow well beyond that age; vocabulary growth is not limited to after formal schooling, as much expansion happens before it; private speech is still common in early childhood and doesn’t simply stop, as children use talking to themselves to help think and learn and only gradually internalize it.

Vocabulary grows rapidly in the preschool years, with children picking up many new words through daily conversation, reading aloud, and varied experiences. A commonly cited pattern is that children learn about eight to nine new words each day, reaching roughly a thousand words by age four. This captures the typical pace and size of vocabulary development at this stage, showing how quickly early language expands with rich exposure.

Why this fits best: it reflects the well-supported idea that preschoolers are rapidly building their word knowledge before formal schooling, often reaching around a thousand words by age four.

The other statements don’t align with how language develops: no child knows all common words by age four, since vocabulary continues to grow well beyond that age; vocabulary growth is not limited to after formal schooling, as much expansion happens before it; private speech is still common in early childhood and doesn’t simply stop, as children use talking to themselves to help think and learn and only gradually internalize it.