Previous research has shown that children go through a stage in which they know that the number words each refer to a distinct numerosity, yet do not know which numerosity each number word picks out (Wynn, 1992). How do children attain this level of knowledge? We explore the possibility that particular properties of how number words are used within sentences inform children of the semantic class to which they belong. An analysis of transcripts of the spontaneous speech of three one- and two-year-old children and their parents (from the CHILDES database; MacWhinney & Snow, 1990) suggests that the relevant cues are available as input in parents ’ speech to children, and that children generally honour these properties of number words in their own speech. Implications of this proposal for word learning more generally are discussed.

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Two studies examined how parent explanation changes what children learn from everyday shared scientific thinking. In Study 1, children between ages 3- and 8-years-old explored a novel task solo or with parents. Analyses of children's performance on a subsequent posttest compared three groups: children exploring with parents who spontaneously explained to them; children exploring with parents who did not explain; and children exploring solo. Children whose parents had explained were most likely to have a conceptual as opposed to procedural understanding of the task. Study 2 examined the causal effect of parent explanations on children's understanding by randomly assigning children to conditions in which they were or were not provided explanation while exploring a novel task with an adult. Children who heard explanations were more likely to switch from procedural to conceptual understanding. Results are discussed with respect to the role of everyday explanation in the development of children's scientific thinking.