Talking Time Study: Empowering Staff to Enhance Oral Language in the Early Years October 2023

Hosted the the IOE PhD Centre for Inclusive Education at UCL Institute of Education

Join us on October 5th, 2023 for the launch of findings from ‘Talking Time©’ early language programme evaluation.

The Talking Time© research trial identified positive impacts for staff language-supporting practice, and for the oral language skills of three-to-five-year-olds in disadvantaged areas. It was funded by the Nuffield Foundation and led by a team of researchers from the IOE, University College London’s Faculty of Education and Society, the University of Oxford’s Department of Education, and Newcastle University.

Talking Time© is a universal intervention targeting the oral language skills of children aged 3 to 5. Through professional development, it supports early years practitioners to deliver a programme of engaging, structured small-group activities underpinned by high-quality interactions to enhance oracy skills. Talking Time uses a manualised-but-flexible approach to support staff in tailoring practice; and to adapt and embed the programme longer-term in a way which suits individual children, settings and context. The approach is based on evidence that lightly scripted programmes incorporating professional development promote greater language growth than fully scripted programmes, potentially because they give staff the flexibility to adapt practice to individual needs. Talking Time© supports practitioners in providing children with the quality and quantity of language nutrition that they need to develop strong oracy skills