Nursery World - Books at home boost 'school readiness'

Reading and talking to young children at home helps prepare them for school, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of West England examined the effect a child’s environment has on their language and readiness for school.

They found that young children who experienced a positive communication environment at home had a better expressive vocabulary by their second birthday. They also went on to achieve higher scores on tests of language, reading and maths when they started school.

The study, Investigating the role of language in children’s early educational outcomes, was funded by the Department for Education and based on data from the University of Bristol’s Avon Longitudinal Study of parents and children. Researchers looked at the number of books available to a child, the frequency of trips to a library, the range of activities a mother taught their child, the number of toys they had and whether they attended daycare. The amount of time that the television was on in homes was also included.

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