A pioneering look at how language shapes a child’s thinking, from the lab to the playground.
In this influential work, A. R. Luria explores how speech not only describes the world but changes how a child acts, thinks, and learns. Through careful observation and experiments, the book traces how language emerges from movement and perception, then grows into a tool that guides goal-directed behavior and memory. Readers gain a clear view of how early talk can reorganize a child’s thinking, shaping everything from everyday problem-solving to planning and storytelling.
The text presents concepts with practical examples drawn from hands-on research, including how speech training and changes in a child’s environment can accelerate development. It offers a concrete map of how language becomes a regulator of action, and how the absence or alteration of social interaction can move a child’s speech and cognition along different paths. This edition makes accessible the ideas that language is more than a means of communication—it is a dynamic force in mental growth.
- Understand how early speech relates to perception, movement, and memory.
- See how language can guide, organize, and expand a child’s actions.
- Explore real-world examples of how training and interaction influence development.
- Learn how researchers measure changes in speech and thought over time.
Ideal for readers of psychology, child development, and education who want a foundational view of how language shapes thinking.