30 Oct 2020

Child literacy expert on kids' language skills

From Morning Report, 8:10 am on 30 October 2020

A leading child literacy expert is warning more children are starting school with poor language skills.

The director of the Child Wellbeing Research Institute, Professor Gail Gillon, says teachers report more young children speaking like toddlers.

She says the root causes are complex, including household stress and parents working multiple jobs leaving them little time to spend with their children.

Screen-time is also a factor.

She speaks to Susie Ferguson.