Six Stages of Language Acquisition

How old is a child in the pre-linguistic stage?

0 to 12 months

How old is a child in the holophrastic stage?

12 months to 18 months

How old is a child in the two-word stage?

18 months to 24 months

How old is a child in the telegraphic stage?

2 years to 3 years

How old is a child in the multi-word and complex sentences stage?

3 years to 5 years

How old is a child in the refinement and advancement stage?

5 years to 8 years

What would be examples of words a child would make in the pre-linguistic stage?

Cooing, raspberries, squeals, babbling

What would be examples of words a child would make in the holophrastic stage?

Mama, milk, go, dada, bed, eat

What would be examples of words a child would make in the two-word stage?

Give me, mommy go, night night, more milk, go park

What would be examples of words a child would make in the telegraphic stage?

Cookie I want, me go with, no eat apple, I no like

What would be examples of words a child would make in the multi-word and complex sentences stage?

I want to go to the park, Can we eat dinner now, that slide looks fun to go on, my stomach is hurting

What would be examples of words a child would make in the refinement and advancement stage?

I want to go to the park because I made a friend there, even though John likes oranges, I really like bananas, the planets revolve around the sun

How might a parent act linguistically to a child in the pre-linguistic stage?

The parent would be making sounds for the baby to mimic. The parent would be enthusiastically encouraging any sounds the baby would make.

How might a parent act linguistically to a child in the holophrastic stage?

The parent would actively be trying to get the child to repeat words they are saying. The parent would be speaking slowly and breaking down the words more. They also might be using more gestures to show words.

How might a parent act linguistically to a child in the two-word stage?

The parent would be encouraging the child to speak with few corrections being made.

How might a parent act linguistically to a child in the telegraphic stage?

In this stage, the parent would be making more corrections. The child would say something and most likely the parent would repeat it back in the way it should be said.

How might a parent act linguistically to a child in the multi-word and complex sentence stage?

The parent would be encouraging vocabulary development. The parent would be reassuring to the child when mistakes are made.

How might a parent act linguistically to a child in the refinement and advancement stage?

The parent would be able to speak with the child about more advanced subjects. The parent would make few corrections, mostly just additions

In the pre-linguistic stage, what are the three age groups and linguistic abilities?

crying and burping (0-2 months)
cooing and laughter (2-4 months)
squeals, raspberries, babbling (4-6 months)

In the holophrastic stage, what is the child most likely expressing?

A command or a need

In the two-word stage, what does negation mean?

The child simply puts no by anything negative - they don't know how to negate words yet

In the two-word stage, how much of a child's language is understandable to a stranger?

50 to 75%

In the two word stage, how does the child use intonation?

To make it a question or to show urgency

In the two-word stage, what type of letters can the child make?

Letters that are made at the front of the mouth - p, b, m, n, t, d, h

What is the difference between the two-word stage and the telegraphic stage?

Not too much - the child might be adding one or two more words to their sentences. As they get closer to three, you see more sentence structure emerging.

In the telegraphic stage, what type of letters can the child make?

c, k, g, f, s, y, l

In which stage does the child tend to use only essential words?

The telegraphic stage - like of them like little cave men grunting short phrases.

In the multi-word and complex sentences stage, how much of a child's language is understandable to a stranger?

75% to 100%

At which stage do children show the most linguistic frustration?

The multi-word and complex sentence stage

At which stage do children start adding plurals and verb endings

The multi-word and complex sentence stage

What is a common mistake of a child during the multi-word and complex sentence stage?

Mixing the f for an th sound, and a w for an r sound

At what age does a child master the R sound?

7 years old

At what age does a child master the th sound?

6 to 8 years old

In which stage can the child say 3 letter diphthongs?

Refinement and advancement

In the refinement and advancement stage, how does the child use intonation?

To show sarcasm, surprise and emphasis

What is the best explanation for why a child can understand alliteration and rhyme in the refinement and advancement stage?

They would be in school by this age

What storytelling elements does a child in the refinement and advancement stage bring into the conversation?

Linking words such as because, then and although