When children hear an unfamiliar word in a familiar and highly structured situation, they likely form an idea of the word's meaning and how that word might fit into their existing repertoire. This phenomenon has been termed:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fast mapping is the process by which children quickly form an idea of a word's meaning after only a brief encounter, especially in familiar contexts.

When Children Hear an Unfamiliar Word in a Familiar and Highly