TODDLERS in the Vale of Glamorgan have become the first of 10,000 two-year-olds across Wales to receive book bags designed to support speech and language development.

Support for children’s speech, language and communication is one of the four key elements of the Welsh Government’s successful Flying Start programme, which aims to give children living in some of the most disadvantaged communities in Wales the best possible start in life.

Welsh Government minister for communities and tackling poverty Lesley Griffiths, visited Bumble Bees Flying Start at Colcot Primary School to unveil the new resources to children and their parents.

The Flying Start Book Bag contains a Welsh language book, English language book, bilingual activity sheets, scribble pad and a set of crayons, and builds on the existing book bags distributed to all children at nine months and 18 months via the national Bookstart initiative.

The resources are designed to encourage families to share stories and rhymes with their toddlers, improving their speech and language development in the crucial early years.

Ms Griffiths said: “We know early language development has a huge impact on children’s literacy, social skills and behaviour as they grow up. Research shows a three-year-old’s vocabulary is predictive of their income at 30 years of age.

“This is why support for toddlers’ speech, language and communication skills is such a key element of our flagship Flying Start programme. The new Flying Start Book Bag will support families to have fun reading, rhyming and learning together.

“It is wonderful to see the real difference Flying Start is having on local families in the Vale of Glamorgan, providing quality childcare and services to families, as well as enabling parents to enter employment or learn new skills.”

The Flying Start setting at Colcot primary school has been created thanks to £350,000 of funding from the Welsh Government.

More than a 1000 children every year are benefitting from Flying Start in the Vale, with £1.2 million of capital funding invested over the past four years.

More than 37,000 children and their families now benefit from Flying Start across Wales, thanks to a £287 million expansion of the scheme.