Talking Time©

We are looking for 130 settings to take part in a new research study evaluating the Talking Time^© programme in 2024-25. Schools with nurseries, nursery schools and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) group settings are eligible and would receive the programme at no cost.

As part of the Department for Education’s Early Years Recovery Programme, four Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs across England are working with the Education Endowment Foundation to fund Early Years settings’ access to Talking Time^© and to evaluate the influence of the programme on practice and children’s outcomes. This initiative aims to support education recovery following the pandemic, whilst also developing our understanding of effective professional development in the early years.

Settings who register for the evaluation study will be randomised into intervention and control groups. Intervention groups receive the programme first as part of the research study. Control group settings receive a £1000 payment and after the evaluation is complete, they can choose to use this to access Talking Time© resources and some professional development to support implementation.

The Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs involved are: Liverpool City Region & Beyond, REACH Out (East of England), Thrive Together (West Midlands) and A Brighter Start (East London).

Schools and private, voluntary and independent nurseries in the following local authorities are being invited to take part in this research project:

• North West: Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, parts of Lancashire (Burnley, Chorley and Rossendale)
• Yorkshire & Humber: Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield
• West Midlands: Walsall, Shropshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford & Wrekin, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley
• East of England: Hertfordshire, parts of Essex, Thurrock, Bedford, Luton, Central Bedfordshire, Southend
• London : Camden, Barking and Dagenham, Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Enfield, City of London, Redbridge, Brent, Islington, Barnet, Haringey, Harrow, Havering – and a range of other areas

If you are in area for one of the Hubs listed but in a different local authority and would like to be involved, please contact us. If we can identify several settings in your locality we may be able to extend to your area.

The programme is being independently evaluated by National Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER).

1. Attend a webinar

Book to attend a webinar via one of the links below:

• Coming soon

If you have trouble booking to attend a webinar, email talkingtime@education.ox.ac.uk

If you can’t make a webinar, you can watch these two videos:

• What is Talking Time?
• What will getting involved with Talking Time look like?

2. Download the information sheet for further information.

The key information is in the webinars and videos but this sheet has more detail and is a handy reference. If you plan to sign up, file it for later reference

3. Complete the ‘Agreement to Progress’ form to let us know you want to be involved.

Book to attend a drop-in session via one of the links below:

• Coming soon

Email the Talking Time team at: talkingtime@education.ox.ac.uk

Talking Time^© is all about having high-quality conversations with children. During the programme, staff and children take part in two 15-minute activities per week during regular provision. Activities take place in small groups of mixed language ability. There are three engaging, structured and evidence-based activities.

Story Conversations

Shared storytelling and conversation using the illustrations in storybooks as prompts, designed to promote comprehension, narrative, and higher order skills (e.g. prediction, inference) as well as word learning.

Word Play

Games and guided role play designed to develop vocabulary breadth and depth.

Hexagons

Creating and re-telling stories based on familiar, real-life scenarios. This activity focuses on narrative skill development and offers opportunities for vocabulary learning.

Staff implementing Talking Time^© will be offered professional development and face-to-face support by an expert mentor. The programme includes:

• 3x Twilight workshops – introduction to key programme principles and materials, three activity types, underpinning language-learning strategies and the reflective tool
• 4x In-class/room mentoring – practical sessions involving observation and rehearsal of language learning strategies ‘in action’ to build confidence and expertise with language supporting strategies; support for longer term implementation
• 3x Video-mentoring – online reflective discussion of practice based on a video of staff-led sessions and support for planning, adapting and sustaining Talking Time^©
• Weekly reflection – we will also encourage you take part in a weekly individual reflection on your practice using the reflective framework

Our aim throughout the programme is to increase staff confidence so you feel equipped to adapt and embed the programme longer-term to suit your children and your setting.

Professional development aims to support staff in:

• implementing Talking Time^© confidently and effectively;
• learning to apply strategies flexibly and intentionally to meet children’s individual language needs;
• adapting Talking Time^© in a way which suits your context and children;
• embedding Talking Time^© longer term and integrating language-supporting strategies into routine practice

Talking Time^© is designed for delivery to nursery children aged 3-5. It is a universal programme therefore the small group sessions are delivered to all children in the class. The professional development training element is available for all nursery staff members but settings identify two Talking Time^© leads to receive the bespoke mentoring and coaching elements.

Oral language is a foundational skill which underpins children’s literacy, wider academic development and social relationships. Children need good language skills to do their best at school and become confident and successful learners. Many preschool children do not have the language skills they need to access the curriculum, with children from areas of social disadvantage at greatest risk of delay. Children who enter Reception with poor language skills struggle with literacy and are at risk of social and behavioural difficulties. Because of this, investing in oral language development during the early years will not only support children at that time, but will impact their learning across future school years and beyond.

On this page you will find translated versions of the Parent Information Sheet and the Privacy Notice for Talking Time^©. Please use these translated versions to support families in your setting to understand the study information as needed.

These have been translated using AI and checked by a native speaker but may not be as accurate as a professional translation. We recommend you use them as part of conversations with parents to support understanding where needed.

You can use this guide to help you know what to cover and you might also find real time translation apps (e.g. Microsoft Translator; Google Translate) useful.

Once parents/carers have reviewed this information and had the chance to discuss it with you, if they are happy to give consent for their child to participate, please ask them to complete the English version of the consent form provided in the paper packs. These paper packs will be posted to your setting by the beginning of September so you can distribute them to families at the start of the new term.

If you would like to share the documents using translation software which you already have in place in your setting (e.g. Class Dojo), you will find the English versions for uploading below. As the software can produce some inaccuracies, the conversations you have with families will be important in helping them to understand what they are consenting to.

We are working hard to add as many languages as possible, so please check back for new languages. If there is a particular language you need to support the families in your setting, or if you have any questions, please get in touch at talkingtime@education.ox.ac.uk.

We really appreciate your support with gathering consents.

English versions (for use with translation software you already use in your setting)

• Parent information sheet and consent form (English)
• FAQs (English)
• Privacy Notice (English)

Translated versions (for information only) 

Arabic 

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Arabic)
• FAQs (Arabic)
• Privacy Notice (Arabic)

Albanian

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Albanian)
• FAQs (Albanian)
• Privacy Notice (Albanian)

Bengali  

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Bengali)
• FAQs (Bengali)
• Privacy Notice (Bengali)

Bulgarian (in progress – check back soon!) 

Chinese (Simplified)  

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Chinese Simplified)
• FAQs (Chinese Simplified)
• Privacy Notice (Chinese Simplified)

Chinese (Traditional) 

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Chinese Traditional)
• FAQs (Chinese Traditional)
• Privacy Notice (Chinese Traditional)

Farsi (in progress – check back soon!) 

German 

• Parent information sheet and consent form (German)
• FAQs (German)
• Privacy Notice (German)

Hungarian (in progress – check back soon!) 

Italian (in progress – check back soon!) 

Japanese

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Japanese)
• FAQs (Japanese)
• Privacy Notice (Japanese)

Polish  

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Polish)
• FAQs (Polish)
• Privacy Notice (Polish)

Portuguese (Brazilian) (in progress – check back soon!) 

Romanian (in progress – check back soon!) 

Spanish (Mexican) 

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Spanish Mexican)
• FAQs (Spanish Mexican)
• Privacy Notice (Spanish Mexican)

Turkish (in progress – check back soon!)  

Urdu 

• Parent information sheet and consent form (Urdu)
• FAQs (Urdu)
• Privacy Notice (Urdu)