At what age do children typically enter the adult-like language development stage where they can manipulate words while maintaining sentence structure?

Children typically enter the adult-like language development stage around ages 5 to 6 years. During this period, they begin to demonstrate the ability to manipulate words and use more complex sentence structures. At this stage, children's vocabulary expands significantly, and they can form more sophisticated sentences that often resemble adult speech. They also start to grasp the nuances of language, such as different tenses, plurals, and the concept of questions and commands. This ability to maintain sentence structure while playing with word order or vocabulary marks a crucial milestone in their communicative competence.

Earlier stages, such as ages 3 to 4, focus more on basic sentence formation and the use of simple words and phrases. By ages 4 to 5, children are becoming more articulate but may still have limitations in complexity. The transition to the fully adult-like command of language typically occurs by ages 5 to 6, reflecting their cognitive development and understanding of language rules. The ages after 6 to 7 continue to refine these skills, but the significant milestone of complex manipulation and structuring occurs closer to 5 to 6 years of age.