March 27 2024- The concern raised is about the increasing number of children starting school who are not “school-ready”, with a study showing that 28% of reception year children incorrectly use books as if they were electronic devices. The author suggests that a lack of verbal interaction with adults may contribute to children’s difficulties in learning to read. The contrast is drawn between current scenarios where children are often engaged with digital devices while parents are on their phones, and a pre-digital era where children interacted verbally with adults, aiding in speech development.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/10/early-learning-needs-parental-engagement