MORE than one in five toddlers across Greater Manchester are starting primary school unable to communicate – and it is affecting their futures.

Some 22 per cent of small children across the region do not have the talking skills they need in order to learn and do well in school when they start.

While Greater Manchester’s rate is higher than the national average of 20 per cent of under-fives, this rate rises in more deprived areas to almost 40 per cent.

Specialists have warned that if the first three years of a child’s life aren’t filled with positive attention, talking and language, they will struggle to thrive in later life.

To try and tackle the issue, parents and carers in Urmston and Partington have been getting advice from early years specialists about how best to support their children’s speech, language and communication.

Events at Urmston Library and the Hideaway in Partington promoted a series of ‘Tips for Talking’ as part of a Greater Manchester-wide campaign to support early years speech and language development.

During the sessions, children and their parents and carers took part in a nursery rhyme story time session with Lynda Kilduff, Trafford’s Early Years Consultant. Parents and carers were introduced to the 10 Tips for Talking and Tiny Happy People BBC resources and videos.

Every family received a special nursery rhyme book to take away and read together at home.

Speech, language and communication is now a particular focus of school readiness work across Trafford and Greater Manchester.

The 10 Tips for Talking parents heard about highlight the everyday things that parents and carers can do to develop children’s speech, language and communication skills from before birth through to starting school.

Soon, posters are set to be distributed throughout the city-region listing these top tips:

  • Babies can hear things in the womb before they are born.
  • Babies should be talked to as soon as they are born.
  • You should discuss feelings and things that interest your little one.
  • Children should not be ignored.
  • Children benefit from play time, singing and joint activities with family members.
  • Children should be spoken to all the time.
  • Playing talking games with children helps them – even before they can form words.
  • Teach your children new words.
  • Remove dummies when a child is talking.
  • Use the language you know best when talking to your child at home.

The BBC’s Tiny Happy People videos have also been developed as part of the campaign.

Every nursery, childminder, school, library, GP surgery and community venues that parent and carers attend in Trafford is set to receive a 10 Tips for Talking poster and everyone who works with early years children will be invited to sessions about talking tips for Trafford toddlers soon.

Cllr Catherine Hynes, Trafford Council’s deputy leader and executive member for children’s services said: “Making sure all children and young people in Trafford have a fair start is a priority for the council and readiness for primary school is an important part of this focus.

“It was brilliant to see such well-attended events taking place in Urmston and Partington, with parents and carers having great fun with their little ones while trying out different ways to encourage better speech development.

“Often it’s the simple things that can make a big difference, such as using lots of repetition, giving children plenty of time to respond and removing dummies as toddlers learn to speak.

“The 10 Tips focus on these accessible things that everyone can do and give clear and useful guidance for anyone spending time with young children.”

More information on the top tips and other advice can be found on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website.