Children are starting school unable to sit up or hold a pencil – and I know the culprit | Kathryn Peckham

As an early years specialist, I've seen the drastic impact of screens replacing physical activity and face-to-face interaction

As an early years education specialist, over the past decade I have seen children enter classrooms with fewer and fewer of the skills needed to begin their formal education. The key culprit, in my opinion? Screen time.

On a child's first day at school, it's normal to expect a few nerves. But they should be able to move around confidently, pick up stationery, make new friends, build a relationship with their teacher and start to feel part of a wider community. Instead, a recent survey reported that some children in England and Wales are unable to sit up or hold a pencil. I have seen kids racked with separation anxiety and unable to form bonds. Upset and confused, they miss instructions and hold back or lash out. To a busy teacher this looks like a lack of ability, or a disruptive child to be managed. Children are simply being set up to fail.

Kathryn Peckham is an early childhood consultant, researcher, author and founder of Nurturing Childhoods