<![CDATA[This study aims to map the trajectory of syntactic acquisition in three-year-old children through syntactic patterns and communicative functions in naturalistic interaction. Using a mixed-methods approach, data from native Indonesian-speaking children were collected over a period of 1.5 months through the involve-conversation technique. Analysis of 80 utterances using frequency distribution, Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), and functional grammar revealed a dominant Subject–Verb–Object (S–V–O) structure (30%) and an MLU of 5.82 morphemes. These findings indicate a developmental transition from telegraphic speech to early multi-clause constructions, reflecting increasing linguistic complexity. Cognitive compensation is marked by the use of pragmatic particles and non-canonical sentence patterns driven by ideational, interpersonal, and textual functions. The results support the usage-based hypothesis, suggesting that early syntactic development is functional, sequential, and non-linear in nature. Furthermore, the study highlights the role of interactional experience in shaping emerging grammatical competence. This classification serves as a micro-longitudinal assessment tool and provides a pedagogical basis for scaffolding interventions aimed at stabilizing complex linguistic patterns and enhancing language development in early childhood education settings.]]>
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