Which stage is often called the Telegraphic Stage?

Which stage is often called the Telegraphic Stage?

• A. Early Multiword Stage
• B. Later Multiword Stage
• C. Babbling stage
• D. Pre-speech stage

Answer: (A)

In the Telegraphic Stage, a child’s speech uses two-word or short multiword phrases that carry meaning but omit small, unnecessary words—like “want cookie” or “mommy go.” This makes speech sound telegram-like, hence the name. This is why the Early Multiword Stage is the best label: it captures the moment when children begin combining words into basic, meaningful utterances, without full grammar or function words. They typically drop the articles, auxiliary verbs, and other forms, relying on content words to convey the message. It sits after babbling and before the later multiword stage, where sentences become longer and include more grammatical elements.

In the Telegraphic Stage, a child’s speech uses two-word or short multiword phrases that carry meaning but omit small, unnecessary words—like “want cookie” or “mommy go.” This makes speech sound telegram-like, hence the name.

This is why the Early Multiword Stage is the best label: it captures the moment when children begin combining words into basic, meaningful utterances, without full grammar or function words. They typically drop the articles, auxiliary verbs, and other forms, relying on content words to convey the message.

It sits after babbling and before the later multiword stage, where sentences become longer and include more grammatical elements.