Research suggests many new entrants start school without needed language skills -- impacting literacy

Nearly two-thirds of teachers surveyed in Education Review Office research say Covid's affected children's language development.

It's alongside more than two-thirds of parents saying their child had some language difficulty before starting school.

Early Childhood Council chief executive, Simon Laube says language starts with parents.

He says oral literacy could be improved for children in ECE -- but a growing number of children aren't getting early childhood teaching.