Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

During which stage of first language acquisition does a child start to use one-word sentences?

1. Babbling stage

2. Beginning oral fluency stage

3. Cooing stage

4. One-word stage

The correct answer is: One-word stage

The one-word stage is a crucial phase in first language acquisition where children typically begin to communicate using single words to express their thoughts, desires, or actions. During this stage, which generally occurs around the age of 12 months, children start to understand the symbolic function of words and can use them meaningfully. For example, a child might say "milk" to indicate they want to drink milk. This stage marks a significant transition from earlier stages characterized by non-verbal forms of communication or simple vocalizations, allowing for a more defined level of expression and interaction with caregivers. In contrast, the other stages mentioned involve different forms of language development: the babbling stage is primarily characterized by the production of repetitive consonant-vowel combinations, the cooing stage involves cooing sounds typically occurring in infants around two to three months of age, and the beginning oral fluency stage follows the one-word stage, where children begin to combine words into short phrases and sentences.