News
Rich children "have superior vocabularies by age of five"
8 Jun 2011
The ground-breaking study, which assessed the abilities of 14,000 youngsters, found a gap in academic ability between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds has already opened up by the time they are three years old.
At the age of five, youngsters with wealthier parents educated to degree level are on average 18 months ahead of their less well-off peers with their vocabulary. For children whose parents have no or lower qualifications, the study found poor early communication skills will likely persist through the preschool period with little or no relative improvement.
The study, titled Growing Up in Scotland, also found that more than a third of children do low amounts of exercise and watch a lot of television, while more than two-thirds do not eat enough fruit and vegetables.
Angela Constance, the Scottish Children’s Minister, said: “This research will play a crucial role in informing what we need to do to improve the life chances for all of Scotland’s children”. She added “A child’s chances in life begin to be shaped before they are even born. Our priority is to create a fairer start for all.”
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