Play Talk Read Roadshow launch
Playing, talking and reading with our children is key to their physical, mental and social development.  Anything that can be done to encourage parents – myself included – to take the time to do all (or some) of these things regularly with their kids should therefore be encouraged.
 
Which is why I’m delighted to see the next phase of the national Play, Talk, Read campaign getting off the ground to  promote the benefits of this approach across the length and breadth of Scotland .   And the chances are you’ll get to experience the campaign first-hand as the Scottish Government’s new Play Talk Read Bus gears up to visit towns and cities across Scotland over the next weeks and months.

Encouraging parents to share books, games and conversations with their children in the early years can make a real positive difference to a child’s future development. On the face of it, it all sounds so simple, an example of everyday good parenting basically. However, campaigns such as Play Talk Read are hugely significant as on a wider level they show that investment in Early Years represents a vital and effective contribution to individual lives, society as a whole, and the overall future of our country.

As such, the early years are a priority for this government, and an area which I – both as a minister and a mother – care passionately. Along with my colleagues in the Scottish Government, I’m committed to supporting children through a policy of early intervention to make sure our youngsters get off to the best possible start.  In short, investment in young Scots today is an investment in a better future for us all; in economic terms representing a future saving to the taxpayer of around £9 for every £1 spent on young people now.

Play, Talk, Read – which was launched in 2009 – highlights how simple interaction (playing, talking and reading) with children under three helps build the child/parent bond and can provide essential social skills and capabilities that can make lifelong learning easier and help build more successful futures.

The campaign basically looks to encourage parents and carers to make these three simple steps a part of their everyday lives, highlighting that children don’t always need expensive toys or costly trips.  They simply need a parent’s time and attention to make a huge and lasting difference.

Research underpinning the Scottish Government’s Early Years Framework shows that during the first three years 75 per cent of a child’s brain growth is complete and that by the age of three, 50 per cent of language is in place.

We also know that children whose parents talk to them frequently have better language skills, with babies of more talkative parents knowing on average around 131 more words that infants of less talkative parents.
All which points towards the huge importance of playing, taking and reading with our children.

At the end of the day, it’s our children’s job to play and ours as parents and carers to make sure it’s a labour of love which benefits us all.

Angela Constance, Minister for Children and Young People

Related links:
Find out more about what you can do with your little one on the Play Talk Read Website.
Follow @PlayTalkRead on Twitter.