Supporting children's language through shared stories and sustained dialogue

This article explores the TWiTCH (Talk with Tales for Children) programme, outlining its pedagogical foundations and structure, alongside findings from an independent pilot evaluation. It highlights how coach-led professional development and dialogic story practices can strengthen educators' confidence and support children's language, reasoning, and engagement during shared book reading.

Read the article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/supporting-childrens-language-through-shared-stories-and-sustained-dialogue/

This episode is in partnership with TWiTCH and Sheffield Hallam University

To find out more about the TWiTCH programme visit: https://research.shu.ac.uk/twitchefficacytrial/

To take part in the TWiTCH programme, submit an interest form:

https://forms.office.com/e/Rq3pwJGUiT?origin=lprLink

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:

· Helicopter stories: Bringing every child's story to life, with Trisha Lee: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/helicopter-stories-bringing-every-childs-story-to-life/

· Stories that connect us: How books foster belonging in the early years with Laura Henry-Allain: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/stories-that-connect-us-how-books-foster-belonging-in-the-early-years-2/

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Do you have thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome and episode overview

00:36 – Guest introduction: Fufy Demissie

00:54 – Fufy's background and experience

01:27 – What is the TWiTCH programme?

02:37 – Origins: language gap and research context

03:11 – Funding, development, and trial expansion

03:55 – What TWiTCH stands for

04:11 – Structure: nine stories across the year

04:46 – Week one: story immersion and strategies

05:36 – Week two: RCRI and reasoning discussions

06:40 – Decontextualised talk and critical thinking

07:25 – Week three: continuous provision and play

08:11 – Embedding vocabulary through practice

08:32 – Repetition of cycle across stories

08:52 – Dialogue, dilemmas, and child engagement

09:30 – Practitioner concerns and outcomes

10:18 – Pedagogical approaches underpinning TWiTCH

10:44 – Use of puppets and modelling language

11:05 – Hanan approach and responsive interaction

12:31 – Importance of repeated reading

13:31 – Educator training and coaching model

14:33 – Coaching visits and reflective practice

15:21 – Practitioner agency and flexibility

16:48 – Programme reach and implementation scale

17:52 – Inclusion of childminders

18:40 – Pilot findings: practitioner confidence

19:36 – Impact on reading and discussion practices

20:05 – Increased confidence in reading aloud

20:46 – Outcomes for children's language development

21:41 – Next steps: large-scale trial

22:36 – Recruitment of settings

23:50 – Trial design and evaluation approach

24:40 – Measuring children's language outcomes

25:52 – Future potential and expansion

27:05 – Key takeaway: value of repetition

28:01 – Final reflections on practice

28:41 – Closing remarks and how to get involved

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com