The early language programme Every Child A Talker will help nurseriesand childminders to access training and materials to support pre-schoolchildren's speaking and listening skills.
The funding is part of a package of measures announced in theGovernment's response to recommendations made by Conservative MP JohnBercow in his independent review, which looked at ways of improvingservices for children with communication problems (News, 10 July).
The review found the number of children who start school unable to speakin full sentences is rising.
The Government will also spend 12m on implementing 40recommendations from the review, with more details due to be revealed inthe autumn.
Children's minister Beverley Hughes said Every Child A Talker wouldimprove practitioners' knowledge and understanding 'encouraging earlylanguage development right from the outset so that before they startschool, children are confident and skilled communicators.'
Organisations running early intervention programmes will be invited totender to run training.
Funding will go directly to support training in settings and localauthorities will also have early language consultants to lead onchildren's SLCN.
Chief executive of children's communication charity I CAN, VirginiaBeardshaw, said, 'I hope this initiative will complement and not competewith evidence-based programmes already on the ground. It would be alltoo easy for practitioners to be confused by a raft of similar-lookinginitiatives.'
She added, 'Every Child A Talker is a universal package to support allchildren's communication. This is welcome. However, such a programmewill inevitably further highlight the significant number of childrenneeding targeted and specialist help. In the Government's action plan ICAN would want to see equal funding and attention given to services forchildren with SLCN.'
Anita Kerwin-Nye, director of the Communication Trust, which raisesawareness of speech, language and communication across the children'sworkforce, and is hosted by I CAN, said, 'We have to ensure the EveryChild A Talker programmes are evidence-informed, tested on the user andhigh-quality.'
Further information
www.dcsf.gov.uk/bercowreview.