Which stage of language development typically includes the use of idiomorphs?

The correct answer is the One-Word Stage, which is a crucial phase in language development that typically occurs around the ages of 12 to 18 months. During this stage, children begin to use single words, also known as holophrases, to convey larger ideas or emotions. An idiomorph is a single key term that represents an entire thought or concept, and in the One-Word Stage, a child may use a word like “milk” to mean “I want milk” or “Look at the milk.” This stage illustrates the beginning of a child’s ability to communicate their thoughts or needs concisely, using single words as stand-ins for more complex messages.

In contrast, the other stages mentioned do not focus on this advanced use of language. Cooing refers to the early sounds made by infants, which are primarily cooing and vowel sounds, and does not include words. Babbling involves consonant-vowel combinations but is still not symbolic or structured as words. The Telegraphic Stage follows the One-Word Stage, where children start to combine two or more words in a way that conveys simple sentences, but it goes beyond the use of single idiomorphs. Thus, the One-Word Stage is the