ABSTRACT
First words are unique in that they are not added to an existing lexicon but seed lexical fields with prototypes. They fundamentally structure the brain, creating categories that can be selectively damaged in aphasia (anomia). Prototypes appear to be based on infants’ intuitive understanding of some basic innate concepts, and as category-seeding words they observe whole-object reference and exclusivity (no more than one label per object). To facilitate the acquisition of first words, adults negotiate joint focus, repeat, ritualize, and create whole-body experiences for the infant. Picturebooks mirror those biases and strategies, depicting objects that are salient for the child (whole objects that are familiar and that imply scripts of what the object can do and what baby could do with them). Picturebooks also create opportunities for physical activities and experiences connected to objects and labels. The chapter discusses bilingual children’s books and whole-word approaches to literacy that each lead the child to reflect upon the word as such.
