Underextending Words occurs when a child uses a general word to refer to one specific item. Which option represents that concept?

Underextending Words occurs when a child uses a general word to refer to one specific item. Which option represents that concept?

• A. Overgeneralization
• B. Underextending words
• C. Phonemic awareness
• D. Orthographic knowledge

Answer: (B)

This item targets underextension in early language development. Underextension happens when a child uses a general word to refer to only one specific item, narrowing the meaning. For example, a child might learn the word “dog” but use it only for their family pet and not for other dogs. That matches the described concept. Why the other terms don’t fit: overgeneralization is when a child broadens a word’s application to many things (like calling all animals “dog”). Phonemic awareness is about recognizing and manipulating individual sounds in words, a skill related to later reading and pronunciation, not how words are narrowed in meaning. Orthographic knowledge concerns spelling and the written form of words, which is also not about narrowing word use.

This item targets underextension in early language development. Underextension happens when a child uses a general word to refer to only one specific item, narrowing the meaning. For example, a child might learn the word “dog” but use it only for their family pet and not for other dogs. That matches the described concept.

Why the other terms don’t fit: overgeneralization is when a child broadens a word’s application to many things (like calling all animals “dog”). Phonemic awareness is about recognizing and manipulating individual sounds in words, a skill related to later reading and pronunciation, not how words are narrowed in meaning. Orthographic knowledge concerns spelling and the written form of words, which is also not about narrowing word use.