Preschoolers speech delayA 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 Children's 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.” Poor
kids at risk of bad speech 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 pred