Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-4-lexical-development [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Teacher CPD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd.md) › [CPD for Primary: Children's Language Development - Seneca Certified](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified.md) › Lexical Development # Lexical Development CPD for Primary: Children's Language Development (by Tom Hollins), topic 1.1.4 ## Lexical Development In 2010, the National Literacy Trust published a list of top 12 most common first words: ### 12 most common first words ![12 most common first words](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/b4fe4488-bd3e-4d9a-b686-53b8686320ea/language-words-.jpg) - Dada - Mama - Cat - Dog - More - Baby - Ball - Duck - Teddy - Milk - Gran - Again ### __Gervain__ ![__Gervain__](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/582d0fc8-2bf8-4658-932c-54c37bf17104/black-baby-child-african-american.jpg) - The reasoning behind why __‘mama’__ and __‘dada’__ are often first has caused debate amongst linguists over the reasoning behind it. - In 2012, __Gervain__ published work which tested babies at two and three days old and discovered that brain activity peaked with reduplicated syllables. But this does not explain why so many of the first words contain variegated syllables. ### __David Crystal__ ![__David Crystal__](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/916d63d0-00b9-49e2-a7d8-57eb34a89ab6/dad-mum-baby-parents-child.jpg) - __David Crystal__ argues that children recognise that their parents get very excited when they say the __‘ma’__ and __‘da’__ syllable and as a result, increase the frequency they say this. - But this does not constitute understanding. He states that it will be many months before the child can link their production of __‘mama’__ to the concept of the maternal caregiver. ## Grammatical and Lexis Words It is important to distinguish between different types of lexis. In particular, grammatical and lexical words. ### Lexical words ![Lexical words](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/459a2801-295b-41b3-991f-dbe870731ba3/information-words-.jpg) - Lexical words (sometimes called content or open-class words) carry some form of meaning. ### Grammatical words ![Grammatical words](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/27b953cf-9db4-4813-bf60-7fb7d47b02b2/words-letters-.jpg) - Grammatical words (sometimes called function words or closed words) serve a cohesive purpose in holding the sentence together. ### Lexical vs grammatical words ![Lexical vs grammatical words](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/f570ac64-7ff0-4cb4-b8d0-7dd6314db804/Lexical%20Grammatical.png) - Lexical and grammatical words are divided by word class. ## Test yourself on Lexical Development - Which of the following word classes is grammatical? - Which of the following word classes is lexical? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/8ba0c8b1-9e90-4088-8dd8-d20e52cdbc5b/section/615b1203-519a-4251-ad84-2b18ee1ec8de/session) - Previous topic: [1.1.3 Beginning Stages of Language](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-3-beginning-stages-of-language.md) - Next topic: [1.1.5 Stages of Development](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-5-stages-of-development.md) ## CPD for Primary: Children's Language Development (by Tom Hollins) contents ### 1 Children's Language Development - 1.1 Stages of Development - [1.1.1 A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-1-a-childs-first-year-and-consonant-acquisition.md) - [1.1.2 Consonant Acquisition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-2-consonant-acquisition.md) - [1.1.3 Beginning Stages of Language](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-3-beginning-stages-of-language.md) - [1.1.4 Lexical Development](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-4-lexical-development.md) - [1.1.5 Stages of Development](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-5-stages-of-development.md) - [1.1.6 Grammatical Constructions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-6-grammatical-constructions.md) - 1.2 Theories of Language Development - [1.2.1 Behaviourism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-1-behaviourism.md) - [1.2.2 Interactionism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-2-interactionism.md) - [1.2.3 Interactionism 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-3-interactionism-2.md) - [1.2.4 Nativism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-4-nativism.md) - [1.2.5 Chomsky](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-5-chomsky.md) - [1.2.6 Cognitivism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-6-cognitivism.md) - [1.2.7 Social Constructionism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-7-social-constructionism.md)