– According to a new study, one in five Australian Children are “developmentally vulnerable” in matters of cognitive, language or communication skills when they start school. “There’s a group of kids at the top end coming very well prepared, and a group at the bottom coming less well prepared,” said Professor Trevor Cairney, a researcher in early childhood education at the University of New South Wales.

– Parents teaching basic literacy and numeracy early to their children can radically reduce this gap, while neglecting such a good habit can have long-term negative consequences. “Many young parents simply aren’t aware their child’s learning starts before they enter the classroom,” said Kevin Robbie, CEO of United Way, an advocacy organisation that runs early literacy programs within disadvantaged communities. Even if working parents have increasingly busy lives, the need for reading with young children, for its part, has not diminished at all.

Image:  Father and Son reading stories (Flickr)

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