Nursery World - 1m encourages talking to children

Parents are being encouraged to talk, count and sing to their young children with the launch of a 1m advertising campaign by the Welsh Assembly. The move follows a survey of headteachers in Wales undertaken in 2002 which found that an increasing number of children were starting school without the appropriate speaking and listening skills needed for learning.

The move follows a survey of headteachers in Wales undertaken in 2002 which found that an increasing number of children were starting school without the appropriate speaking and listening skills needed for learning.

Alan Wells, director of the Basic Skills Agency, the charity leading the project, said that the interaction between many busy parents and their children consists of a 'daily grunt'.

He said, 'Many parents do not know how to communicate and play with their children in a way that will develop their speaking and listening skills.'

The campaign, which is supported by three television advertisements and a series of posters on billboards and buses throughout Wales, promotes a free resource pack called 'Talking Together', which contains tips and suggested activities involving talking, singing, reading and counting.

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