New plans to boost early speech and language skills

The Scottish Government has outline plans for better joined‑up speech, language and communication support from the earliest stages of life.

The Early Years Speech, Language and Communication Action Plan aims to strengthen collaborative support across health, education, and family support services.

Clear, practical advice on speech, language and communication will be targeted to families in disadvantaged communities, where children are more than three times as likely to have communication challenges. This will be done through universal services such as health visiting, the Baby Box, and Bookbug. Professional learning for practitioners in health and early years settings will also be enhanced to help them deliver better support for families.

Children’s Minister Natalie Don‑Innes said: “We are determined to ensure that all children get the best possible start in life. Strong communication skills underpin every aspect of a child’s development – from building relationships and emotional wellbeing to educational success and future opportunities – yet too many children, particularly those growing up in poverty, face avoidable challenges.

“By focusing on prevention, empowering families with the right support at the right time, and further enhancing workforce skills, we can transform outcomes, close the developmental gap that disproportionately affects children in poverty, and enable every child to reach their fullest potential.”

The National Plan sits alongside ‘Chatting Together’ guidance, hosted on Parent Club, an online information hub offering advice for parents and carers. These are practical tips developed by speech and language experts with input from parents to help lead conversations with children from a very young age.
Staff at Ferryfield Nursery in Alexandria have embedded the ‘Chatting Together’ guidance into daily practice, to steer interactions with children and share ideas with parents about how to nurture speech and language at home.