DadTalk

Youngsters struggle to speak

Is television to blame for children struggling to talk

Nearly a quarter of boys - and one in seven girls - is struggling to learn to talk because thousands of households keep their TV sets on constantly making it difficult for them to understand the speech of adults around them. Three per cent suffer 'significant' problems, according to a poll published by Jean Gross, the Government's communications adviser.

The survey also showed how more than a quarter of families have a TV on either 'most of the time' or 'all the time'. One in ten youngsters aged just one or two has a set in their own room, while a third of five to seven-year-olds have their own TVs.

Her survey, conducted by YouGov, also investigated children's first words and confirmed that 'dadda' and 'daddy' are more likely to be spoken than 'mama' or 'mamma'. Dadda is thought to be easier for babies to pronounce. More unusual first words included 'beer', 'gadget' and even 't**s up'.

Read more at the Daily Mail