At what stage do children begin to communicate using simple phrases that lack grammatical structure?

The telegraphic stage is characterized by children beginning to use simple phrases that may convey meaning but often lack the complexities of grammatical structures found in mature language. During this stage, typically occurring around ages 2 to 3, children will combine two or three words to form basic sentences that focus on essential content words, omitting smaller function words and grammatical markers. For instance, a child might say "want cookie" instead of "I want a cookie."

This stage is crucial as it illustrates a shift from single words to the beginnings of multi-word communication, demonstrating an emerging understanding of how to express more complex ideas, even without full grammatical accuracy. This phase showcases the child's developing ability to convey meaning efficiently, similar to a telegram, hence the term "telegraphic stage."