What is the primary focus of semantic and syntactic development during early word combinations?

The primary focus of semantic and syntactic development during early word combinations is on retaining meaningful content words. During this stage, children begin to understand how to combine words to convey more complex ideas, and they prioritize the use of words that carry significant meaning, such as nouns and verbs. This emphasis on content words is crucial because it lays the groundwork for building vocabulary and further developing language skills.

As children engage in making these early combinations, they instinctively select words that they deem essential for expressing their thoughts, experiences, and interests. This process reflects their growing understanding of the world around them and their desire to communicate effectively. Retaining meaningful content words also helps them to create more coherent messages, even if their grammatical structures are not fully developed at this stage. Thus, this focus on meaningful content words is a critical aspect of their linguistic growth and represents an essential step in their overall language development trajectory.