Schools matter, but what happens in the small window before children get to school often proves critical for their future success. Research by Gilkerson et al titled “Language experience in the second year of life and language outcomes in late childhood” (bit.ly/LangExp) concludes that early talk predicts school-age success in language, and much more, 10 years later.

The US-based researchers used innovative recording equipment called language environment analysis (Lena) software to focus on the talk experienced at home by toddlers aged between 18 and 24 months. They found that how much we talk with our infants is vital to their readiness to describe their world.

It is well established that early “vocabulary gaps” can inhibit a child’s readiness for school. And as the research has stacked up, a more nuanced understanding of early language has developed. The quantity of talk with our young children matters, of course, but it is the quality of talk that is king.

So, what do we mean by “quality talk” ? The Lena research shows that “conversational turns” - back-and-forth exchanges between adult and child - are an important factor because they ensure that children are fully cognitively engaged. Indeed, the research suggests that conversational turns at 18-24 months of age “accounted for 14 to 27 per cent of the variance in IQ, verbal comprehension, and receptive and/or expressive vocabulary scores 10 years later”.

Well-developed dialogue is clearly essential to all learning. What does this mean for schools? Most primaries and secondaries are fully aware of the importance of language development. Yet the “vocabulary gap” and the challenge of enriching talk for children can appear to be insurmountable, meaning that too many miss out on a crucial platform for development.

As cuts have hit many vital support structures in England - such as Sure Start Children’s Centres - schools have been expected to do more with less. With depressing predictability, at risk children are most likely to miss out. We do need to lobby the government and demand more support in this area. However, we can also enact small but very significant actions in our schools.

Too often, it is nurseries and primaries that chart language development. But children are not “fixed at 5”. We need to attend to quality dialogue in the classroom, from the early years through to the end of secondary. All teachers need to be trained to understand the importance of language for learning. There are lots of reliable assessments to use at every stage, so children with specific needs shouldn’t go undetected. We can twin purposeful assessment with a focus on quality dialogue in classrooms, as well as supporting parents with simple approaches to “conversational turns”.

With rich dialogue in the classroom, alongside regular, sensitive development of language throughout school, we can ensure that every child gets to take their (conversational) turn.

Alex Quigley is a senior associate for the Education Endowment Foundation, a former teacher and author of Closing the Vocabulary Gap

This article originally appeared in the 15 February 2019 issue under the headline “Focusing on early language? That’s the way to do it!”