Reading bedtime stories, painting, and singing at home with young children at risk of language difficulties could help boost the economy by up to £1.2 billion over the course of their lifetimes, a report suggests.
One in seven (14%) three-year-olds in the UK – around 116,000 children – is estimated to be at risk of “vulnerable” early language skills which could hold them back later in life, increasing their likelihood of unemployment and reduced earnings, according to research by Pro Bono Economics.
But the analysis, commissioned by KPMG UK and the National Literacy Trust (NLT), found that two extra home learning activities a day can lift preschool children out of the “at-risk” category.
The study suggests that the potential lifetime cost to the economy of failing to support these children “at risk of vulnerable language skills” could be in the region of £327 million for each cohort of three-year-olds.
The lifetime costs could reach £1.2 billion for those in the four cohorts of preschool children who are, or…
