Nursery World - Nurseries see more speech difficulties

The number of children who have speech and language difficulties in day nurseries across the UK is 'rising fast', according to a survey of nursery staff. The results of the survey by I CAN, the charity that helps children who have speech and language difficulties, in conjunction with Nursery World, were published at the start of the charity's annual Chatterbox Challenge initiative this week. It found that 89 per cent of nursery staff were worried that speech, language and communication difficulties among pre-school-age children were growing.

The results of the survey by I CAN, the charity that helps children who have speech and language difficulties, in conjunction with Nursery World, were published at the start of the charity's annual Chatterbox Challenge initiative this week. It found that 89 per cent of nursery staff were worried that speech, language and communication difficulties among pre-school-age children were growing.

Nursery staff reported more children having problems concentrating, speaking clearly and following instructions. Children often responded with monosyllabic answers or gestures rather than appropriate language. Almost all (96 per cent) of the respondents said they had at least one child with communication difficulties in their nursery, while 10 per cent said they had at least ten children with such problems.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included