Assessing and improving language-supporting practice in early years

This project will assess the impact of the Talking Time intervention on Early Years Practitioner (EYP) outcomes and has been co-funded with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).

Early language underpins learning and social-emotional wellbeing and predicts literacy and wider outcomes at school entry. Many children experience language delays, particularly those from disadvantaged families. Equipping EYPs to support language learning is essential to addressing these disparities. However, evidence suggests that current practice may be inadequate to develop language skills.

A Nuffield-funded evaluation of an early language intervention named Talking Time showed evidence of promise for EYP and children outcomes. A larger trial of Talking Time, funded by the EEF, is assessing its impact on child language, but not practice outcomes.

This project will capitalise on this trial to look at the impact of Talking Time on EYP practice outcomes. Specifically, the way in which EYPs support children’s language development.

Through the collection of additional audio-recordings of EYP reading with children, the research team will:

• Describe current language-supporting practice in small-group shared reading across the maintained and private, voluntary, and independent (PVI) sectors, and between EYPs with different qualifications.
• Examine the impact of book type by comparing wordless and text-and-picture book recordings.
• Establish whether/how practice changes through professional development.
• Extend methodology in capturing responsive practice, which currently focuses on strategy frequency.

The EEF funded trial will be carried out in 130 maintain and PVI settings. 320 audio-recordings will be collected, and additional recordings will be added if necessary to ensure the data is representative of the range of practitioners and settings participating.

Findings will be disseminated in a practical form for schools, professional development designers, teacher educators, policy makers, and other relevant bodies. In addition, two knowledge-exchange events will bring together key stakeholder to discuss the implications of the findings for early years practice, professional development, and policy.

This project has been co-funded with the Education Endowment Foundation.