Our internal impact evaluation report is out!
Talking Matters programmes have significant impact on children’s language readiness for school.
That is the key finding of an internal impact evaluation that dives deep into the effectiveness of our initiatives in fostering school-ready language skills among children who benefit from our partnerships with ECE.
The study found that Talking Matters activations with a cluster of Whakatāne schools had driven meaningful and positive change in ECE teacher practice, contributing to a language-rich environment for preschoolers. The ECE teachers found their Talking Matters experience affirming and motivating, and most elements of practice change had been sustained long after the programme itself had been delivered. The effect of children’s language experiences in ECE had been noticed by teachers at the schools receiving these children as well as by the children’s own parents, who remarked on their appropriate language skills when they got to school.
Talking Matters is two!
We became an independent organisation in July 2022.
Since then, our partnerships have delivered 42 Activations
Together we have reached
2554
tamariki and made their language environments richer
Impact stories
Have a look at some recent stories about whānau enriching the language environment of their pēpi in partnership with Talking Matters
Natural-born Einsteins
Kōkako shows us how babies are born ready to communicate in all the languages of their whānau. In her home they share the taonga of te reo Māori, Quechuan (an indigenous language of Peru), Spanish and English.
I can reach anything
For some mamas doing it tough, the Talking Matters kaupapa supports them to feel pride, to be empowered and to have fun creating language rich environments for their tamariki.
Our outcomes
Enriched language environments
Improvement in areas including Knowledge & Confidence, equity, relationships, physical environments, and culture & identity.
Increased Serve and Return
There are more responsive interactions in the language environment and adults are more attuned and responsive to the communication needs of tamariki
Enhanced wellbeing
Adults feel more connected with their "village" to boost the child's language, feel excited about the child's potential as a communicator and empowered about their ability to help them reach it.
