Nurseries, childminding groups and pre-schools are invited to take part in the annual event, which aims to encourage children under-five to sing and rhyme to raise money to support I CAN’s work with children with speech, language and communication difficulties.
The theme of this year’s Challenge, sponsored by Openreach, is ‘Kids in Motion - Get Active and Make Chatter Matter’, inspired by the Olympics this summer.
A new survey by I CAN and Openreach of 2,000 parents has revealed that almost three-quarters of them have had to take on extra work to make ends meet, which impacts on the time they have to talk and interact with their young children.
More than 30 per cent of respondents said they rarely have time to talk to their children, which they blame on increased workloads, and 19 per cent are too tired to interact with their children by the time they get home from work.
Around a third of parents said that answering work calls or responding to emails often interrupts their attempts to talk with their children.
I CAN warns that this could potentially impact on their child’s communication development and their school readiness, as evidence shows that children’s understanding and use of vocabulary at age two is strongly associated with their performance at school.
Kate Freeman, I CAN communication advisor, said, ‘Parents want the best for their children and are well-informed about how important it is to chat with children in order to nurture their communication skills.
'They’re aware of the key milestones at the different ages and stages of development – but their best efforts are being hampered by the recession’s impact on their working hours.
‘We’re concerned at the knock-on effect on young children who need verbal interaction to build their own speaking and understanding skills, especially in the early years. Without these skills they may start school with a lower level of language than expected at their age.
'However, the good news is that making time for chat and rhyme will help get children "communication fit" and ready for school.'
- To register for Chatterbox Challenge 2012 visit http://www.ican.org.uk/chatterboxchallenge
