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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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