Verb learning is a difficult, important task for young learners (e.g., Childers & Tomasello, 2002). Children often see different events while hearing new verbs and have to deduce which event is relevant for learning that verb’s meaning. We simulated this experience by showing 3 ½- and 4 ½-year-olds (n= 28) 3 events on each trial and presenting a new verb. Across 3 trials, 3- and 4-year-olds were able to focus on the repeated action and extend the verb (ps <.05). In Study 2, the same-aged children (n=50 to date) were shown a repeated agent across trials (facilitating structural alignment), six learning trials (more instances for statistical learning), or both a repeated agent and six learning trials. Analyses of the first two conditions suggest a difference between conditions; data collection in progress. These studies are important for understanding cognitive processes that may underlie a key task, verb learning.

Learning verbs is critical to learning one’s native language. Two new studies with comparison trials and additional test trials reveal better verb learning by both Japanese- and English-speaking children than prior studies (Imai et al., 2005; 2008). Specifically, 2½-, 3½- and 4½-year-old Japanese-speaking children (total n=170; n= 43 2.5s; n= 48 3.5s, n= 48 4.5s) in Japan and English-speaking children in the US (total n=107 to date; n= 28 2.5s; n= 36 3.5s; n= 43 4.5s) were shown 3 events linked to each of 4 novel verbs, either in a Progressive Alignment (similar before varied events) or All Varied condition; children pointed to new events at test. Multivariate ANOVAs in both languages show children benefit from seeing high than low similarity events during verb learning, particularly at younger ages. Links to key theories in verb learning, including structure mapping and statistical learning, will be discussed.

Evidence shows comparing events helps children learn verbs (e.g., Childers et al., 2016), but studies are needed to understand whether event type is important. Study 1 examines two types of experiences during learning: seeing similar events than varied, or all varied events. Two½-(n=22), 3½-(n=20) and 4½-year-olds(n=14) learned 4 novel verbs. BS:similar events first or all varied events; pointed at test. A 3(Age: 2,3,4 years) x 2(Condition: similar,varied) univariate ANOVA,dv=proportion correct, showed main effect of Age, F(2, 55)= 7.6, p=.001 only. All children succeeded (one sample t-tests,ps< .03), whereas in a prior study, younger children failed. A second study confirms these results with a different set of video events, and events separated by 1-minute distractors. Here, only 2½- and 3½-year-olds who saw similar events extended verbs,perhaps because events were separated in time. These studies show that verb learners can benefit from comparing events, and comparing similar events can be especially useful.