New research, carried out at the London school of Economics and Oxford University reveals that children aged between two and three tended to be more stimulated at nursery due to the interaction with new children and adults, which helped their development. The report suggests going to nursery is more beneficial than staying at home by supporting young children to develop social and everyday skills, whilst staying at home can lead to poorer speech and movement.

The research was based on a survey carried out with 800 German mothers, which asked about the progress of their children when they were aged two and three, taking into account their education and financial background. The survey asked questions about physical skills such as “Can your child cut pieces of paper with scissors?” and language development such as “Can your child speak in two-word sentences?” 

It was found that activities such as singing children’s songs, painting and access to arts and crafts, all activities common in nurseries, had a positive impact on dexterity. Reading or telling stories and visiting other families were also both found to have a positive impact on language development.

The researchers also examined the effect of certain activities on young children. Reading and shopping were found to make them happiest; however surprisingly taking walks outdoors was negatively associated with movement skills. The researchers suggested this may be due to the children in question spending long periods in a pushchair.

Alongside the benefit to development from attending nursery, the research also found that spending more hours being cared for by grandparents was associated with better talking and social skills.

What is your view on this research?