Human learning is guided by intuitive representations of informativeness Abstract Obtaining useful information is crucial for any cognitive system. This need can be met by evaluating the informativeness of the data present in the environment. This article details how informativeness representation guides learning from an early age. Two years old children plan their active learning behaviors by anticipating the informational gains that might result from their actions. Young children interpret novel communicative acts by assuming that their interlocutors are sufficiently informative, and they determine the informational needs of others using simplified representations of knowledge. Thus, the ability to evaluate the informativeness of data plays a central role in cognitive development. It helps children optimize their learning behaviors.