Children who miss out on baby talk not necessarily disadvantaged by age 11, research suggests

Posted on 14 November 2020

Babies and toddlers who miss out on high quality early talk and communication at home are not necessarily left at a permanent disadvantage, a new study suggests.

The research, led by the Universities of York, (Co-author, Dr Umar Toseeb) and Cambridge, found that while the development of very young children’s verbal skills is essential in preparing them for school, it does not automatically impact on their reading and writing by age 11.

Helping primary school teachers to devise effective, personalised strategies to support these children would allow them to catch up with their more loquacious peers, the authors of the study say.

Read the article in full.