Talk Star Trial Results
23 of the 24 children improved their speech and communication after using Talk Stars for just two months.
Twenty-four children identified as needing speech and language support used Talk Stars for five to ten minutes, two to three times a week, over a two-month period. Their language increased by an average of 10 months over just two months.
Average improvement: 10 months
Greatest improvement: 27 months
23 of the 24 children improved
10 children improved by a year or more
Language age improvement
Improvement in language age after two months using Talk Stars.
Each bar represents one child. The average improvement was 10 months after using Talk Stars for two months.
| Child | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| School 1 - Child 1 | 2y 5m | 3y 8m | 15m |
| School 1 - Child 2 | 2y 8m | 3y 3m | 7m |
| School 1 - Child 3 | 3y 5m | 3y 9m | 4m |
| School 1 - Child 4 | 3y 5m | 3y 8m | 3m |
| School 2 - Child 1 | 2y 6m | 3y 8m | 14m |
| School 2 - Child 2 | 2y 7m | 3y 8m | 13m |
| School 2 - Child 3 | 2y 6m | 3y 7m | 13m |
| School 2 - Child 4 | 3y 6m | 4y 8m | 14m |
| School 3 - Child 1 | 2y 2m | 2y 8m | 6m |
| School 4 - Child 1 | 3y 8m | 4y 8m | 12m |
| School 4 - Child 2 | 3y 5m | 3y 9m | 4m |
| School 4 - Child 3 | 3y 7m | 3y 7m | 0m |
| School 4 - Child 4 | 2y 7m | 3y 2m | 7m |
| School 4 - Child 5 | 2y 10m | 4y 7m | 21m |
| School 4 - Child 6 | 2y 7m | 3y 6m | 11m |
| School 5 - Child 1 | 2y 8m | 3y 7m | 11m |
| School 5 - Child 2 | 2y 7m | 3y 7m | 12m |
| School 5 - Child 3 | 2y 5m | 3y 9m | 16m |
| School 5 - Child 4 | 3y 4m | 3y 8m | 4m |
| School 5 - Child 5 | 2y 0m | 2y 5m | 5m |
| School 6 - Child 1 | 2y 3m | 2y 8m | 5m |
| School 6 - Child 2 | 2y 7m | 4y 10m | 27m |
| School 6 - Child 3 | 2y 4m | 2y 9m | 5m |
| School 6 - Child 4 | 2y 4m | 2y 5m | 1m |
Language age was measured before and after the trial using the Talk Stars language development assessment.
Case Study: Building Confidence to Communicate
Child A is a 3-year-11-month-old boy who attends the nursery.
He receives SEN support within the broad area of Communication and Interaction. His primary need is identified as Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), specifically relating to expressive language delay and difficulties with word-finding and sentence formation.
Before joining the Talk Stars programme, he was soft-spoken, very quiet, making it difficult for others to hear or understand him. He had not previously participated in any speech and language intervention programmes.
He has taken part in the Talk Stars programme three times a week for approximately three weeks. During this short period, he made significant progress. The programme has helped to build his confidence and now he is communicating more, using a louder voice and initiating interactions more frequently.
He has started joining and singing familiar nursery rhymes during sessions and likes to share his observations with others, for example he will point out aeroplanes flying overhead and say holiday loudly. His speech sounds and pronunciation are getting better. Other adults in the classroom have also noticed the positive changes in his communication and confidence.
He thoroughly enjoys taking part in the programme, particularly the recording activities. He often asks if he can do it again and looks forward to three stars at the end of each session. Overall, the Talk Stars programme has been a very positive and rewarding experience for him, supporting both his communication skills and his confidence.
Vanessa Henry-Edwards
Deputy Headteacher
Testimonials
We have seen a big impact with the pupils using the programme
We have found the Talk Stars programme to be perfectly matched to our pupils' needs. The short sessions are ideal for pupils with limited attention and the rhymes make the sessions highly engaging for the pupils.
They love being able to see a human on the screen and this has been key to motivating reluctant learners to participate (One pupil often brings a teddy to join in the sessions and show the person on screen).
We also love the fact that Talk Stars is ready to use. We don't have to spend valuable time prepping the sessions.
We have seen a big impact with the pupils using the programme and we hope for them to continue to use it as they go into Year 1. We are also excited to know that we have a comprehensive programme ready to use with our new starters.
Ali Wiles
SENCO
Richard Wakefield C.E Primary Academy
The resource is incredibly easy to use, looks great and above all has impact.
Talk Stars is a brilliant online resource. Within my school we have used the speech and language package, the baseline and end of term assessment is brilliant and supports in showing what progress has been made and the next steps needed.
The resource is incredibly easy to use, looks great and above all has impact. The children in my school have loved using it and the adults delivering the session as an intervention have thoroughly enjoyed delivering.
With the ongoing needs of children struggling with speech and language the resource supports, is instantly available and I love that it can be completed at both home and school.
Aimee Steedman
SENCO
Edward Heneage Primary Academy
Children have become much more confident in speaking up
Talk Stars is easy to use and has had a significant positive impact on the children's communication skills. Since using it, the children have become much more confident in speaking up, and are communicating more frequently in both the classroom and playground. They are using longer sentences and demonstrating improved speech sounds. It has been wonderful to see their progress.
Vanessa Henry-Edwards
Deputy Headteacher
Vauxhall Primary School
The recording feature helped a lot
Talk Stars has worked really well for some of our FS1 children who need speech and language intervention. The sessions are engaging and the children enjoy taking part in them. There has been improvement in the children's confidence and how to pronounce certain sounds.
The recording feature helped a lot because the children could see how they pronounced the sounds and we were able to support them easier because of it. Also, adding gestures to the words helped because the children were able to use them during carpet time.
Leah Knight
Early Years Lead
St. Anthony’s VC Academy
Trial summary
- 10 months improvement
- 24 children
- 6 primary schools
- Two-month intervention
- Two to three sessions per week
- Language assessed before and after using the Talk Stars language development assessment