Learning English
An article in The Education Guardian tells parents that while only one in 10 children has real difficulties acquiring language, the percentage of those starting school who are diagnosed as having “impoverished language” is now 50% and there is clear evidence that this has gone up over recent years. Families, particularly in deprived areas, may spend more time than ever in the same home but they are all too often in different rooms playing with different gadgets, she says.
As part of the course, speech and language expert Beryl Hilton-Downing, a campaigner for improving children’s achievement, gives a hard-hitting lecture to parents of children about to start reception this month at five Gateshead primaries.Hilton-Downing’s talk is not patronising - she says that the complexity of acquiring language is often underestimated and explains how problems can occur with almost identical physical movements used to make “t” and “c” sounds. For English speakers, the difficulty is compounded by a complicated spelling system that has 44 sounds in an alphabet of 26.
Her message is essentially a positive one. None of this is set in stone and motivated parents can make a huge difference. A parent’s own level of education counts for less than what they do with their child.
Frustratingly, out of a potential 300 or so parents and carers, only around 20 have turned out to hear her. Spending some quality time at home with their children supporting their education goals does not require teaching skills. The use of educational English games and educational toys can stimulate the learning process through mutual enjoyment rather than perhaps the indifference of a child completing homework in a separate room.
