Wendy Lee

When Thrive at Five introduced Talking Time into Stoke-on-Trent nursery schools, practitioners were supporting children with significant communication and language needs in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country. Three years on, those same schools are telling a different story. This case study looks at how a universal oral language programme became embedded across seven schools — and why practitioner development was the turning point.

Children who took part in the early years oral language programme made an additional month of progress in language development, with promising signs for the children who need it most.

Oracy - the ability to speak, listen, and communicate effectively - has moved from the margins of educational debate to the centre of it. Understanding what oracy really means, and what it takes to develop it well, has never been more important.