Related objects, places, actions, and states exist in some form of space/time context, and prepositions provide that context. Spatial prepositions include under, over, and within. Temporal prepositions include before, during, and after.

Language includes other elements that children must learn. Conjunctions connect words and phrases. Quantity is represented by imprecise (few, many) and precise (numbers) terms. How language works mirrors how the world works.

Children have to thoughtfully learn how the world works. For example, will a dropped object bounce, break, or splat? When children interact with their environment, they explore basic causalities and correlations without any initial linguistic awareness of the concepts. Adults expand children’s understanding of such direct experiences by providing verbal labels that allow a child to talk about an experience—something that typically enhances the experience.

Metaphor plays a central role in this. When children confront something new or enigmatic, adults tend to compare it to something the child already understands. This not only enhances understanding, but it also connects the two concepts within the child’s mind. Later, their mature brain will be able to rapidly determine the appropriate relationship between many such sets of concepts.