--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A child, when it begins to speak, learns…" description: "\"A child, when it begins to speak, learns what it is that it knows.\" — John Hall Wheelock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/john-hall-wheelock-60656_child_a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-w_2452428.jpg" --- # A child, when it begins to speak, learns what it is that… ![“A child, when it begins to speak, learns what it is that it knows.” quote by John Hall Wheelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/john-hall-wheelock-60656_child_a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-w_2452428.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/john-hall-wheelock-60656_child_a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-w_2452428.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/john-hall-wheelock-60656_child_a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-w_2452428.jpg) > “A child, when it begins to speak, learns what it is that it knows.” [John Hall Wheelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hall-wheelock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language reveals the limits of our knowledge as we grow. **In simple terms:** We learn what we know through speech. Key Takeaway Observe how speech shapes understanding. Themes education language development Mood inquisitive thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - early childhood education - language teaching - self‑reflection Key Concepts epistemology cognitive growth Questions to Reflect On - What does your speech reveal about you? - How can you test your assumptions? A Different Perspective Children may misinterpret their own knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ## Related quotes > [I should sell my tongue and buy a thousand ears when that One steps near and begins to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-should-sell-my-tongue-and-buy-a-thousand-ears-when-that-one-steps/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“As human beings, how do we choose to react in that instant when someone walks toward us, smiles, and begins to speak?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-deck/as-human-beings-how-do-we-choose-to-react-in-that-instant-when/) [Jeff Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-deck/) > [Every child begins the world again, to some extent, and loves to stay outdoors, even in wet and cold. It plays house, as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/every-child-begins-the-world-again-to-some-extent-and-loves-to-stay-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every child begins the world again, to some extent, and loves to stay outdoors, even in wet and cold. It plays house, as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/every-child-begins-the-world-again-to-some-extent-and-loves-to-stay/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every child begins the world again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/every-child-begins-the-world-again/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A person soon learns how little he knows when a child begins to ask questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-l-evans/a-person-soon-learns-how-little-he-knows-when-a-child-begins-to-ask/) [Richard L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-l-evans/) > [The soul begins to travel when the child begins to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-soul-begins-to-travel-when-the-child-begins-to-think/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [When the child begins to think and to make use of the written language to express his rudimentary thinking, he is ready for elementary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/when-the-child-begins-to-think-and-to-make-use-of-the-written/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Rebirth. I mean by this simply what happens when the child begins to realise the fact that the black does not enter through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/rebirth-i-mean-by-this-simply-what-happens-when-the-child-begins-to/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [ The child begins to perceive the world not only through his \[or her\] eyes but also through his \[or her\] speech ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-s-vygotsky/the-child-begins-to-perceive-the-world-not-only-through-his-or-her/) [Lev S. Vygotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-s-vygotsky/) > [Katie is like my calendar, watching her grow and change. She is growing up so fast, learning to have opinions of her own, learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/katie-is-like-my-calendar-watching-her-grow-and-change-she-is-growing/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [“Sycophant learns from dogs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/sycophant-learns-from-dogs/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [The man that sets out to carry a cat by it's tail learns something that will always be useful and which will never grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-man-that-sets-out-to-carry-a-cat-by-it-s-tail-learns-something/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [One should never forget that by actually perfecting one piece one gains and learns more than by starting or half-finishing a dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/one-should-never-forget-that-by-actually-perfecting-one-piece-one/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) ## More by John Hall Wheelock > [The job of an editor in a publishing house is the dullest, hardest, most exciting, exasperating and rewarding of perhaps any job in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/the-job-of-an-editor-in-a-publishing-house-is-the-dullest-hardest/) [John Hall Wheelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hall-wheelock/) > [Most writers are in a state of gloom a good deal of the time; they need perpetual reassurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/most-writers-are-in-a-state-of-gloom-a-good-deal-of-the-time-they/) [John Hall Wheelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hall-wheelock/) > [It's almost two societies, the living and the dead, and you live with them both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/it-s-almost-two-societies-the-living-and-the-dead-and-you-live-with/) [John Hall Wheelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hall-wheelock/) > [“The heaven of stars bends over me in silence, a harp through which the wind of time still whispers music some hand has hushed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/the-heaven-of-stars-bends-over-me-in-silence-a-harp-through-which-the/) [John Hall Wheelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hall-wheelock/) [Explore all 5 John Hall Wheelock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hall-wheelock/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) [Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A child, when it begins to speak, learns what it is that it knows.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Hall Wheelock" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-what-it-is-that-it-knows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Child" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-what-it-is-that-it-knows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/john-hall-wheelock-60656_child_a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-w_2452428.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/john-hall-wheelock-60656_child_a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-w_2452428.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/john-hall-wheelock-60656_child_a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-w_2452428.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A child, when it begins to speak, learns what it is that it knows.” — John Hall Wheelock", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Hall Wheelock", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hall-wheelock/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A child, when it begins to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-what-it-is-that-it-knows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hall-wheelock/a-child-when-it-begins-to-speak-learns-what-it-is-that-it-knows/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```