An introduction to B.F.SkinnerAbstractB.F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior (1957) is analyzed in the context of early language learning. In the book, Skinner did not emphasize the foundations for language learning in infants and young children. His principles and concepts are integrated with current knowledge of caregiver-infant interactions. Several major elements of his functional analysis are described as well as relevant verbal operants. These are correlated with terms and concepts used in classical and contemporary research in child language.
