This project was recruiting, but is now full.
As part of the Story Choices trial, Coventry University are developing an outcome measure that will be used to measure children’s expressive vocabulary. As part of this development, the measure needs to be piloted with 25 settings who are not participating in the main trial.
What will taking part involve?
Visits will be made to participating settings for two to three days in September and October 2024. Researchers will then work with participating children for a maximum of 20 minutes. During this time, children will be asked to show or tell the meaning of some words, and then will be required to complete a short standardised language measure. As a thank you, settings will receive a £50 voucher, in addition to the children’s scores on the standardised language measure.
Who can take part?
Schools and early years settings that:
- Cater for children in the year before they start reception (ages 3 to 4).
- Are located in Milton Keynes, Bedford, Peterborough, Central Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Sheffield or Rotherham.
- Are not taking part in the main Story Choices trial or another language intervention.
Oral language skills are fundamental for learning. Studies consistently demonstrate that there is a higher prevalence of oral language needs in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and those working with children have told us they are prioritising supporting children’s language skills following the disruption of the pandemic.
Previous research has shown the value of group storybook reading in improving language skills among young children. Dialogic or interactive reading has proven to be even more effective in boosting language abilities. Instead of just reading aloud to the child, educators encourage discussions, ask questions, and provide opportunities for children to express their thoughts and ideas related to the book.
Choices designs intend to investigate the impact of day-to-day practices on children’s learning – in this case two approaches to planning interactive reading sessions – with the aim of enhancing educators’ knowledge and understanding of how to support oral language skills. This measure pilot will support the choices trial.
Prior to the trial, the research team conducted a scoping phase during which they surveyed and interviewed Early Years educators about their provision. They established that nearly all surveyed educators reported having dedicated storybook reading time, either as a whole class or with keyworker groups, but there is significant variation in practice regarding how they plan their storybook sessions, and which approach they consider to work best. There is a gap in existing research about whether it is more effective to plan storybook interactions ahead of time or to respond to children’s choices in the moment, so this trial aims to generate important evidence to support educator practice.
The evaluation report for the main Story Choices trial will be published in Spring 2026.