After the babbling stage, which stage typically follows in first language development?

• A. 1 word stage
• B. Telegraphic stage: forming sentences
• C. Oral fluency stage: uses structure & syntax
• D. Babbling stage

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the typical order of early language development. After babbling, children usually enter a one-word stage, also called the holophrase stage, around their first birthday. In this stage, a single word carries a larger meaning and communicates a request or statement, like saying “milk” to mean “I want milk” or “dog” to refer to the dog. This marks the transition from pre-language babbling to meaningful speech and is followed soon after by the two-word/telegraphic stage as vocabulary grows. The other options describe later stages (two-word or more complex sentences) or are the earlier babbling stage, so they don’t come next after babbling.