YORK state-maintained nurseries are being asked to take part in research to assess child behaviour and development.

The Department for Education-backed research will test Triple P's positive parenting programmes, which support parents to help improve their child's early language and literacy skills at home before they start school.

Triple P is the world's most extensively evaluated parenting programme.

This independently evaluated trial is part of a wider project, which will spend £5 million testing projects in the north of England that aim to provide practical tools and advice to parents so they can help their children learn new words through simple steps, such as reading and singing nursery rhymes.

All of the projects will have a focus on supporting families in disadvantaged areas.

Email eeftrial@triplep.net for details about this major trial of Triple P's programmes.