Start for Life

Improving early communication, language and literacy development is a key priority for the government and a cornerstone of building a country that works for everyone.

Some of the poorest children in the UK start school months behind
their peers and the gap can grow through their school years. Children
with poor vocabulary skills at age five may be up to twice as likely to
be unemployed in their 30s.

In July 2018, the Department for Education (DfE) announced the
government’s ambition to halve in ten years the proportion of children
who finish reception year without the communication, language and
literacy skills they need to thrive.

As part of this endeavour DfE has launched Start for Life –
a campaign to encourage parents and carers to
engage in activities that support their child’s early learning and help
set them up for school and beyond.

Department for Education 2019

To find out more about campaign and for more practical activities to support your child's language and communication skills click the link on the sidebar.