The Health Department will next month host free speech and language screenings to P1 students entering the school system.The screenings are intended to detect learning weaknesses at an early stage so as to reduce or prevent any negative impacts in the classroom.Minister for Health and Seniors Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said: “Strong speech and language skills are at the heart of education and provide a firm foundation for learning.“If we are not able to attend while others are talking, or to follow verbal directions, if it is a challenge to answer questions or to be able to tell about familiar experiences, we may not be able to apply these skills in the classroom or experience success at school.“Good communication, therefore, is the key to success socially. It lays the foundation for academic success and for achieving our career goals. It is one of the tools for building a healthy community.”The screenings will take place between July 1 and July 12. Those who wish to register must make an appointment by calling the Coordinator for Speech and Language Services for the Health Department, Susan Price Barrett, at 278-6429.Students who will be entering P1 this September, for whom Speech and Language Services have already been identified, do not need to attend the screening.