Which of the following describes the stages of language development?

The stages of language development are best described by identifying how children progress from early vocalizations to more complex language use. The correct choice of pre-linguistic, holophrastic, telegraphic, and multi-word stages outlines this developmental path effectively.

In the pre-linguistic stage, infants explore sounds and begin gesturing, signaling their engagement with language before they can produce recognizable words. The holophrastic stage follows, where children begin to use single words to convey whole ideas, exemplifying how language starts to represent meaning in concise forms. As they progress to the telegraphic stage, children start combining two to three words into short phrases that reflect a certain clarity of intent. Finally, the multi-word stage sees the use of more complex sentences, showcasing an understanding of syntax and allowing for richer communication.

This framework closely aligns with research on how children acquire language, emphasizing the natural order of developing increasingly sophisticated forms of communication. Understanding this progression helps inform teaching strategies and supports early childhood educators in facilitating language acquisition in connection with children's developmental stages.