Summarised by Centrist
A growing number of five-year-olds are starting school with underdeveloped speaking skills, and teachers are pointing to COVID and excessive screen time as major culprits.
According to a report by the Education Review Office (ERO) released today, teachers across New Zealand are witnessing a decline in the oral language abilities of new entrants, particularly in schools located in poorer neighbourhoods.
The research revealed that more than a quarter of teachers in low-income areas report that the majority of their pupils have oral language skills below the expected level. In contrast, only 3 percent of teachers in wealthier areas observed similar issues.
The study also noted that early childhood teachers are noticing these problems before children even start school. One educator noted, “Some of our 4-year-old tamariki like to tell long stories, but it mostly comes out as gibberish, much like an infant babbling.”
To address this issue, the report recommends increasing access to quality early childhood education, especially in poorer communities, and ensuring that curriculums offer clear indicators for oral language progress. Quality early education, the report notes, could accelerate literacy development by up to a year, providing a boost to children at risk of falling behind.
