In translating perception into written language, a child must learn an encoding process which is a continuation of the process of improving sensing of the world around him or her. To verbalize an object (a perception) we use frames which name a referent, locate the referent in space and time, identify its appearance and behavior, and define terms of reference and function. Language, then, is a way of signalling what is out in the world and the writer's prime concern is to supply as clean a signal as possible. The listener/reader then functions as an evaluator of incoming information by comparing the information it carries to all other information which can be brought to bear. In learning to unlock sentence ideas, it is necessary to get at the frames. The key is VSC (verb, subject, complement) which provides the bridge from syntax to lexicon, from word to idea frame. As the teacher helps the student learn the key, the student discovers how to process information. (TJ)