Bigger versus smaller: Children's understanding of size comparison words becomes more precise with age

• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14182
• Publication Date: 2024-11-01T14:55:01Z
• Authors: Alissa L. Ferry; Mia G. Corcoran; Emily Williams; Sheila M. Curtis; Cathryn J. Gale; Katherine E. Twomey
• Keywords: Child Development

Abstract The ability to compare plays a key role in how humans learn, but words that describe relations between objects, like comparisons, are difficult learn. We examined children learn size comparison words, and their interpretations of these change across development. One‐hundred‐and‐forty England (36–107 months; 68 girls; majority White) were asked build block structures bigger , longer smaller shorter or taller than an experimenter's. Children most successful with refer increases. Younger less accurate often building structures. dimensional aspect emerged gradually. These findings suggest children's interpretation the meaning changes becomes more precise