How do children learn language through cognitive theory?

Piaget's theory of cognitive constructivism derives from the fact that people construct or make their own knowledge. While you can give someone knowledge, they may not be ready to learn it in your terms. Thus, the learner understands or learns the new info or material through an experience or relationship with the information...

I once saw a young child, around 3 years old, play on the margin of his playgroup. He did not use verbal language and did not connect with the others who used Words and sounds to express themselves. As his speech developed, he drew closer, physically, to the rest of the group. And as he understood more about the interplay between the children and himself in relationship to them and to their games, he participated more. I was struck by the fact that one day he actually said a Word and touched a playmate at the same time. I don't remember what the Word actually was, but it was a relational Word--the fact that he touched his playmate and said the Word at the same time made me realize that he understood the relationship...

Piaget would be a place to start reading.