Five-a-day ‘integral to child development’
The development of literacy skills and achievement of other important milestones for children is reliant on the consumption of five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, a new study has shown.
While long thought to have a beneficial impact on overall health, the five-a-day theory has received fresh backing, the Telegraph reports.
Children's minister Sarah Teather said: "Raising greater awareness of the importance of high-quality parenting skills and building strong family relationships for children in the foundation years and beyond is invaluable."
The new government initiative aims to highlight the importance of parent-child interaction, with issues like playing together, reading, diet and building praise all important for healthy development of children in the UK.
Meanwhile, figures from the Department of Education recently revealed that expected Level 4 results at Key Stage 2 in Maths and English rose by one percentage point this year to 74 per cent in comparison to 2010.
