NES Elementary Reading Instruction 104 Practice Test

Telegraphic stage is when a child starts forming short sentences using mainly the important content words, while leaving out small function words. Think of two-word or longer utterances like “want cookie” or “mommy go,” where the message is clear even though words like “the,” “and,” or “is” aren’t used. This shows emerging syntax and a grasp of how words fit together, even though the speech is simplified and lacks endings or auxiliary verbs. It comes after the babbling phase and the one-word (holophrase) stage, marking a move from single words to meaningful combinations.