Principal speaker
Professor Sheena Reilly
Spoken and written language defines the human species and underpins the health, productivity, and social well-being of individuals and ultimately, the human capital of a nation. Language skills provide the foundation for learning that is literacy and numeracy.
Most children acquire spoken and written skills with relative ease. However, a sizeable group does not and these children account for disproportionate long-term population health, social and economic burden. Children who start school with poor language skills are more likely to have difficulties learning to read and to spell and to leave school early without qualifications. In adulthood they are more likely to have mental health problems and to have fewer employment options.
Children who are regularly read to and who have lots of books in their homes have been shown to do better in their first years of school. These children are more likely to have better letter knowledge and language skills which translates into higher rates of literacy and better spelling skills. What parents do matters and their own reading habits, the number of books in the homes and how much time they spend on book reading impact on children’s development.
Join Professor Sheena Reilly, Director of the Menzies Health Institute Queensland (MHIQ), as she discusses the way language shapes a child's development.
You're invited to attend this free Friends of the Library event. Register online at: https://events.griffith.edu.au/language.