The ability to communicate is recognised as the most fundamental life skill for children. It directly impacts on their ability to learn, to develop friendships and on their future life chances.

Babies are born ready to communicate. Their language development is influenced by both genetic factors and environmental experience.

Parents, caregivers, and those closest to the child have the most important role in supporting speech, language, and communication development. They’re best placed to provide language-rich environments for their children.

Early language development and communication skills are recognised as primary indicators of child wellbeing. This is due to the link between language and other social, emotional, and learning outcomes.

Language contributes to a child’s ability to:

  • manage emotions and communicate their feelings
  • establish and maintain relationships
  • think symbolically
  • learn to read and write

Without support, children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are at risk of poor outcomes across the life course.

Facts and figures

Educational attainment:

  • 1 in 4 children who struggled with language at the age of 5 did not reach the expected standard in English at the end of primary school, compared with 1 in 25 children (at the age of 5) who had good language skills
  • 15% of pupils with identified SLCN achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of their primary school years compared with 61% of all pupils
  • only 20.3% of pupils with SLCN gained grade 4/C or above in English and maths at GCSE, compared with 63.9% of all pupils

Social, emotional and mental health:

  • 81% of children with emotional and behavioural disorders have unidentified SLCN
  • children with vocabulary difficulties at age 5 are 3 times more likely to have mental health problems in adulthood and twice as likely to be unemployed when they reach adulthood

Lifelong impact:

  • 60% of young offenders have low language skills
  • the long-term negative impacts of language difficulties suggest that their associated costs to individuals, their families, and society across the life course are likely to be high

Taken from ‘Best start in speech, language and communication‘ (Public Health England, pages 10 to 12).