Scientists Develop New Theory on How Toddlers Learn to Speak

There's a period in the development of toddlers when they seem to learn a new word every day. There are different theories about why young children undergo what experts call a word spurt. But one psychologist believes it may have to do with how young children learn difficult words. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.

At around one year of age, most babies utter their first word. A short time later, a second word is spoken.

Bob McMurray is a professor of psychology at the University of Iowa.

"And it would be very tempting to say, 'Wow, look at the rate of acquisition has sped up,' right? 'It took them a year to learn mommy but only a month to learn daddy.' But in actuality that child was probably working on that word daddy all along. They really spend a year and a month to learning the word daddy," he explained.