How do child actors learn their lines?

[dellesapples]

Especially if they can't read? I've always wondered how child and even adult actors learn their lines.. I have respect for actors as it's something I'd fail massively at unless it's unscripted.

they memorise them? They just use their memories, thats all

Is it spoken to them and then they have to recite it back sorta thing?

I make a voice recording of the lines around mine, leaving gaps where I have to speak, and listen to it regularly filling in the spaces either out loud or in my head.

If you're talking about little children, too young to read, I think it would be rare to see one on stage. For TV and films I assume the small child just gets told what to say just before their bit is filmed.