Language skills 'lag a year behind in poorest children'

Inequalities begin long before children arrive at school

Children from the poorest homes are almost a year behind middle class pupils in language skills by the time they start school, research suggests.

But good parenting, such as reading to children and having fixed bed times, can significantly reduce this gap, the study for the Sutton Trust says.

The educational charity urged the government to fund parenting classes, especially in deprived areas.

The government said the gap was closing fast but that there was more to do.

The Sutton Trust study looked at the results of a series of vocabulary tests carried out by 12,500 British children at the age of five.

It found those from the poorest homes were nearly a year behind in their results.

It also looked at the factors common to poorer children that might influence their development.

It found that just under half of those from the poorest fifth of families were born to younger mothers under 25.

We now have sound evidence about policies and programmes that raise achievement Jane Waldfogel Report author

And just under two-thirds did not live with both biological parents, it said.

It also isolated some factors that boosted children's development on both the poorest and the richest homes.

These included "sensitive parental behaviour", such as ensuring regular bedtimes and reading daily to the child.

Regular bed times between the ages of three and five led to development gains of two-and-a-half months, researchers said.

Daily reading at the age of three boosted vocabulary development by nearly two months.

And children whose parents arranged monthly library visits were two-and-a-half months ahead of an equivalent child at the age of five who had not made similar trips.

According to the study, better parenting could reduce the achievement gap between middle-income and poor families by up to nine months.

However, just under half of children from the poorest homes were read to every day at the age of three, compared to 78% of children from the richest fifth of home.

More help

The authors noted that the UK had invested 4.3% of GDP on early years education in 2006.

But they called for a more effective early years strategy that would prevent greater numbers of children from disadvantaged backgrounds "falling behind their more fortunate peers before school has even begun".

Sutton Trust chairman Sir Peter Lampl said the findings were both shocking and encouraging - revealing the stark educational disadvantage experienced by children from poorer homes before they reached school.

But it also showed the potential for good parenting to overcome some of the negative impacts that poverty could have on children's early development, he said.

Study author Professor Jane Waldfogel, visiting professor at London School of Economics, said: "We now have sound evidence about policies and programmes that raise achievement for low-income children and help reduce gaps in early childhood.

"We also know that the best of these investments will yield returns well in excess of their costs."

'Focus on disadvantaged'

The report also called for more support for families from health professionals and early learning experts and special outreach projects to improve contact with vulnerable families.

Expansion of free nursery education should be focused on the 15% most disadvantaged families, it added.

Children's Minister Delyth Morgan said the government's rules on what is covered in childcare settings were ensuring that toddlers were learning through play and getting proper stimulation.

"The childcare entitlement means even low-income families can benefit from high quality childcare that prepares toddlers for school.

"But let's be clear, whilst there is much more to do, the gap between rich and poor in early years is closing, with the lowest-achieving children not only keeping pace but improving faster than the rest.

"We will continue to focus extra resources on the most disadvantaged children," she added.

語言技能'滯後一年落後於最貧窮的兒童'
學生
不等式開始前不久孩子們來到學校

來自最貧窮的兒童院是近一年後的中產階級學生語文能力的時候，他們開始上學，研究表明。

但為人父母的，諸如閱讀等的兒童，有固定的床，可以大大減少這一差距，研究的薩頓信託說。

該教育慈善機構呼籲政府資助親職教育，特別是在貧困地區。

政府表示，差距正在迅速縮小，但還有更多的工作要做。

薩頓信託研究考察的結果一系列的詞彙進行了試驗 12500英國兒童在5歲。

結果發現那些來自貧困家庭的近一年的留在他們的結果。

報告還分析了各種因素共同的貧困孩子，可能影響他們的發展。

它發現，其中只有一半的人從最貧窮的五分之一家庭出生的年輕母親 25歲以下。


我們現在有可靠的證據的有關政策和方案，提高成就
簡沃德佛格
報告的作者

而僅用不到兩年的三分之二生活在沒有父母雙方的生物，它說。

它還孤立的一些因素，推動兒童的發展對最貧窮和最富有的家庭。

其中包括“敏感父母的行為”，如確保正常睡眠時間，閱讀每天孩子。

床次定期之間的年齡在3至5使發展成果的兩年半半月，研究人員說。

每日閱讀的年齡在3個詞彙的發展帶動了近兩個月。

和兒童的父母安排參觀圖書館每月有兩個和半提前1個月，相當於兒童在5歲誰沒有作出類似的旅行。

根據這項研究，更好地為人父母可以減少差距的成就中低收入和貧困家庭達 9個月。

然而，只有不到一半的孩子來自最貧困的家園被讀出，每天在3歲，而78％的兒童從最富有的五分之一家庭。

更多幫助

作者指出，英國已投資 4.3％的本地生產總值的早期教育，在2006年。

但是，他們要求更有效的早期的發展戰略，防止更多的兒童來自弱勢背景“落後他們更幸運的同行在學校甚至已經開始”。

薩頓信託的主席彼得爵士蘭普爾說，研究結果令人震驚，都是令人鼓舞的 - 揭示黑暗的教育不利經歷來自貧困家庭的兒童才抵達學校。

但它也顯示了潛在的好父母，以克服一些負面影響，可能對貧困兒童的早期發展，他說。

研究報告的作者簡沃德佛格教授，客座教授，在倫敦經濟學院，說：“我們現在有可靠的證據的有關政策和方案，提高成就，為低收入家庭兒童，並幫助縮小差距的童年。

“我們也知道，最好將這些投資的回報率遠遠超出了他們的成本。”

'聚焦弱勢'

該報告還呼籲更多的支持他們的家庭保健專業人員和早期教育專家和特別推廣項目，以改善弱勢家庭的聯繫。

擴大免費幼兒教育應集中在15％最貧困家庭，它補充說。

兒童部長 Delyth摩根說，政府的規則，什麼是育兒設置覆蓋了確保幼兒在學習，通過遊戲和得到適當的刺激。

“兒童保育權利意味著即使低收入的家庭可以受益於高品質的準備幼兒保育學校。

“但是，很顯然，雖然還有許多工作要做，貧富之間的差距和貧困，早年正在縮小，最低成績欠佳的學生不僅保持速度，但提高速度超過了休息。

“我們將繼續集中額外資源，在最不利的兒童，”她補充說。