Have you heard of shape bias? It鈥檚 a little bit brilliant! When they鈥檙e around two or three years old, your child will start to group objects by their shape and give same-shaped things the same name. So, if a child knows the word car and sees a new car-shaped toy, they鈥檒l assume it鈥檚鈥 a car! And hopefully they鈥檒l be right.
Shape bias is actually fantastic for your child鈥檚 language learning. How do we know? Science!Scientists spent nine weekly play dates trying to improve a group of toddlers' shape-bias. They taught them new words by showing them lots of different examples of the same thing. So, for 鈥榖ucket鈥,they showed them different buckets:a big metal one, a small blue plastic one, a square mop bucket, and so on. The results were amazing. After the training, the children had learned much more than just a few new words.聽They鈥檇 increased not only their shape bias but also their overall vocabulary. Both were much higher than usual for children of their age.
This suggests that increasing your child鈥檚 shape bias, improves their ability to learn new words!So as clever little tricks go, it鈥檚 a winner. You can increase your little one鈥檚 shape bias by showing them lots of different examples of the same thing and, of course, naming them. So, you might say 鈥榯his is your sippy cup, this is Daddy鈥檚 tea cup and this is Mummy鈥檚 teacup鈥. Sounds too easy but, believe it or not, they鈥檙e learning!
Have you heard of shape bias?
When they鈥檙e around two or three years old, your child will start to group objects by their shape.
Image caption, When they鈥檙e around two or three years old, your child will start to group objects by their shape and give same-shaped things the same name.
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