‘Reading and writing float on a sea of talk’: Why early conversation matters – Editorial

EditorialNZ Herald22 Jul, 2026 05:00 PM3 mins to readTalking with our kids can be one of the best things we do to help develop their oral language skills, say educators and researchers. Photo / 123rfEducation is a consistently debated topic in New Zealand. Literacy rates, school lunches, classroom sizes, curriculum changes, teacher resourcing and more live under scrutiny. But a campaign launched in Northland this month is a reminder that education starts long before a child steps into a classroom. Talk With Children