We cannot overstate the significance of early language development. The association between oral language delay and long-term negative educational and social outcomes is clear and greater for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. As many as 50 per cent of children with social disadvantage start school without the language they need for learning.
A new evidence-based programme, Talking Time, aims to address this concern. The small group intervention, which is still being piloted, aims to give practitioners the tools they need to improve their interactions and create a high-quality language-learning environment in EYFS settings.
Dr. Sandra Mathers from the University of Oxford says, ‘A unique aspect of Talking Time is that it combines a manualised intervention with professional development. The continuing professional development prepares staff to understand the principles behind the programme and the language-supporting strategies which underpin it. They can then adaptit in a way which is right for their children and setting. Our aim is that Talking Time is embedded into regular ongoing practice, rather than something done for a year before moving on to a different programme.’
THE PROGRAMME
All children take part in two 15-minute activities every week in small, mixed language ability groups.
Activities include:
- Story Conversations: shared storytelling and conversation using the illustrations in storybooks as prompts. It is designed to promote comprehension, narrative and higher-order language skills (e.g., description, prediction, inference) and give opportunities for word learning.
- Word Play: games and guided role play designed to develop the breadth and depth of vocabulary.
- Hexagons: creating and retelling stories based on photos of real situations. These situations are likely to be familiar to children and have the potential to scaffold conversational exchanges.
THE RESEARCH
Talking Time was recently evaluated as part of a research study funded by the Nuffield Foundation, involving 39 schools with nursery classes.
Co-researcher Julie Dockrell, from University College London, explains, ‘We compared the outcomes of children and the practice of staff in the schools with a control group. We found that taking part in the programme improved children’s vocabulary knowledge. We also found improvements in adult-child interactions, particularly in the number of conversational exchanges between staff and children during a story-reading activity and the amount of children’s talking.’
Mathers adds, ‘We were especially pleased about the changes in quality of practice because we know that back-and-forth conversational exchanges are such powerful language learning contexts.’
Talking Time is based on the same evidence base as the Newham Communication Project, a six-month sustained programme to improve children’s communication through CPD and the Education Endowment Foundation’s ShREC, using specific strategies with every child, every day to improve their interactions, so many strategies overlap and complement each other.
The CPD
The professional development involved in Talking Time centres on a reflective framework called Rehearse, Notice, Analyse and Refine. The aim is to increase language-supporting expertise by learning what good strategies look like and becoming more intentional about practice.
- Rehearsing: practising the language-learning strategies you are using.
- Noticing: tuning into what you are doing.
- Analysing: reflecting on the effects of your strategies – how successful were they? What effect did they have? What could you have done differently?
- Refining: considering what you learned; what you want to change or work on; what your next steps will be.
CPD at Sheringham has involved:
- a training day for staff about the programme and its evidence base
- a training session before the team start each activity
- an in-class mentor session for the teacher the day after sessions; they then mentor their team over that week
- staff videoing themselves to enable reflection on practice
- teaching staff to use the Rehearse, Notice, Analyse and Refine cycle. They do this after mentoring and individually during weekly reflections
- staff logging their professional reflections online for sharing.
CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTATION
Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre deputy head teacher Melissa Prendergast says, ‘We have a number of children with a high level of need – being part of a small group was not right for them. Instead, these children have picturebook time with their key person or learning support assistant in way that is meaningful for them.
‘My main challenge is timetabling. I am constantly adapting them in response to feedback about what works and doesn’t, and also due to normal nursery events such as trips, filming and strikes.’
She adds, ‘Finding suitable spaces is tricky – there are often up to 14 sessions a day with two groups simultaneously. Our original plan of two toothbrushing groups and one Talking Time was too noisy, so we’ve adapted it. We now have sessions straight after toothbrushing, during tidy-up time and at storytime. This maximises the length of time that children are playing in continuous provision and prevents having to search for children.
‘Timetabling mentoring can also be complicated. It requires cover so that the mentors can model for their mentee and then observe them, followed by joint reflection time. This has to happen eight times over one or two weeks.’
TO END
Jean Gross CBE, former government Communication Champion for children, comments, ‘I’ve been a member of the steering group for Talking Time and have been really impressed by the quality of the intervention. It’s hard to change the way we talk to children, and just “going on training” is not enough. It needs to be followed up with on-the-job coaching, and a chance to reflect on our own practice. Talking Time builds in this kind of ongoing support.’
Sheringham prioritises Talking Time for these reasons. Prendergast says, ‘I encourage staff by echoing Professor Dylan Wiliam: Sometimes we have to stop doing good things to do even better ones. All staff think it is a positive and wholly worthwhile change. They see the benefits to themselves and to the children.’
What more can we ask from a programme of intervention?
CASE STUDY: Sheringham Nursery School
Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre in the London Borough of Newham uses Talking Time, with each child attending groups led by their key person. Melissa Prendergast, who leads the programme, says, ‘Children focus on a high-quality picturebook for three weeks, starting with story conversations and then introducing wordplay. So, every week, each child has one story conversation and one wordplay activity. We introduce Hexagons at the end of March.
‘Preparing for sessions is detailed in the Talking Time handbook, though I made a simplified version that staff use. Teachers lead the process, making suggestions for key vocabulary and prompts or comments, but it is down to the key person to be responsive to the individual children, adapting it to them.’
Prendergast outlines its benefits:
- ‘Being evidence-based, we know we are maximising our impact.
- All children have equal access to opportunities for language learning.
- All children are given the time and space to have close interactions with their key person in small groups.
- The key person develops a deeper understanding of their children: this supports the development of intentional interactions.
- Books give context for conversations beyond the here and now.’
‘Talking Time combines evidence-based practice with professional development – this is exactly what we need,’ she adds.
Practitioner soundbites…
Emily: ‘It has taken one child in my group many months to settle, because his attendance hasn’t been great and he’s new to the country. He wasn’t taking or making friendships. He’s now getting involved in group conversations, pointing at pictures and naming things, saying words I didn’t know he knew.’
Rahima: ‘Talking Time helps me to develop my understanding of language learning strategies and how best to pitch my sessions so they are motivating and accessible for all.’
Valentina: ‘I’ve noticed the impact for one of my key children who had no English at all when he came, he just used gestures. Talking Time is really helping him to make progress. He saw a bicycle in our book and was really excited, pointing and said “me… cycle… bike”. (He had a bike!)’
Further Information
