This article considers the important matter of language availability in the lives of babies and children. Without this language availability, knowing, thinking, and expression cannot blossom and mature. It draws on insights gained during a research study of 5-6-year-old children in low socioeconomic schools, designed to explore the impact of language availability on their expressive capabilities. In particular, it focuses on the demonstrable language uptake and learning potential of children as evidenced in the tell and retell assessment used in the study.