Jo Beattie

A partnership between the National Literacy Trust and Sheffield Hallam University will expand the TWiTCH shared reading programme to 80 nurseries and early years settings annually for three years. The evidence-based initiative aims to improve language development for three- and four-year-olds, particularly those vulnerable to language disadvantage, by enhancing practitioners’ skills and embedding conversational approaches into story time. Originally launched in 2019, TWiTCH has grown across the North of England and will undergo a large efficacy trial funded by the Education Endowment Foundation. Nick Sharratt’s collaborative fairy tale books were selected for use in the programme, which seeks to foster long-term improvements in early years education.