A new study shows one in five Australian preschoolers have poor
language skills, with those from disadvantaged families the most
likely to lag behind their peers.
The study by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute,
Melbourne, found 20 per cent of children had difficulty either
using or understanding spoken language at the age of four.
"Children with poor language skills often face serious
difficulties at school and it is a concern to see the number of
children starting school without the critical skills needed to
learn to read and write," co-author Professor Melissa Wake
said.
"Language skills are the foundation for achievement throughout
the school years and language problems can impact significantly on
academic attainment and later employment opportunities."
Children who came from low socio-economic backgrounds, and whose
mothers were poorly educated and had low vocabulary levels, were
most at risk.
"Social disadvantage did not play a role in predicting language
outcomes when these children were toddlers but the gap widened as
they reached preschool, possibly through children's cumulative
exposure to less-rich language environments," Professor Wake
said.
"The findings are concerning but also present an opportunity for
intervention during the preschool years. Early interventions should
be targeted and aim to enrich the home language environment by
encouraging parents to spend time talking and reading to their
children. Early referrals to health professionals such as speech
pathologists are also vital."
Other risk factors included coming from a non-English speaking
background and having a family history of speech and language
difficulties. Children who were late talkers at the age of two were
more likely to continue experiencing language difficulties at the
age of four.
The findings, published online this week by American journal
Pediatrics, form part of a longitudinal study of 1900 Victorian
children from the age of eight months to help researchers better
understand the earliest predictors of language impairment in
children. Children are now being followed up at the age of
seven.
Professor Melissa Wake has appointments at Murdoch Childrens
Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital and University of
Melbourne.