This paper discusses the nature of language knowledge and the manner in which children come to acquire this knowledge. Among the topics discussed are language production and the ability to understand sentences never heard before, sentence formation, children's construction of rules, children's language creativity, language acquisition and age, children's linguistic progress, reading exposure, children's early writing, and children and spelling. Following the discussion of these topics, it is suggested that children be introduced to the written word through writing other than reading. If children spell creatively for a period of time before being expected to read, they gain active experience in the principles of alphabetic representation. Written language from the start is systematic and accessible to children, and they can take an active role in dealing with it. Teachers should direct their efforts toward providing an environment in which children's natural language creativity can flourish. (TS)