Blog
Tales That Spark Thinking: The Impact of TWITCH at Grass Roots Day Nursery
At Grass Roots Day Nursery in Sowerby, Halifax, we’ve always believed in the power of stories — not just as a tool for language development, but as a gateway to connection, curiosity, and emotional growth. This year, our involvement in the TWITCH (Talk With Tales for Children) pilot project, led by the Education Endowment Foundation, has deepened that belief and offered new ways to support our children’s development.
TWITCH is designed to enhance children’s oral language skills through structured storytelling and discussion. It focuses on vocabulary acquisition, narrative comprehension, and the kind of rich, reflective talk that builds thinking skills. For us, it’s been a natural fit.
Stories as a Springboard for Language and Thought
From the very first tale, we saw children leaning in — not just to listen, but to wonder aloud, ask questions, and make connections. The stories offered:
• New vocabulary in meaningful, memorable contexts
• Opportunities to practise expressive language through retelling and role play
• Space to explore emotions, motives, and consequences
We noticed children using words like “confused,” “frustrated,” and “curious” with increasing confidence — not just in story discussions, but in their everyday interactions. This emotional vocabulary has supported self-regulation and peer relationships, especially during collaborative play.
Questioning and Executive Function in Action
The TWITCH approach encourages children to pause, reflect, and respond — skills that underpin executive function. Through guided discussions, we saw:
• Improved working memory, as children recalled story details and built on each other’s ideas
• Strengthened cognitive flexibility, as they considered alternative endings or character perspectives
• Enhanced inhibitory control, as they waited their turn, listened actively, and responded thoughtfully
These are foundational skills for lifelong learning, and TWITCH has helped us nurture them in a way that feels playful, purposeful, and deeply relational.
Alignment with Our Ethos
At Grass Roots, we centre emotionally intelligent practice. TWITCH has complemented this beautifully by:
• Valuing children’s voices and perspectives
• Encouraging empathy and perspective-taking
• Creating calm, focused spaces for deep thinking and shared storytelling
The tales themselves have sparked rich conversations about fairness, kindness, bravery, and belonging — themes that resonate with our children and reflect the values we hold as a setting.
Practitioner Growth and Sector Connection
TWITCH has offered a shared framework for reflective practice and strengthened our team’s confidence in facilitating meaningful dialogue. It’s also helped us stay connected to evidence-informed approaches that support both children’s development and practitioner wellbeing.
TWITCH has reminded us that stories aren’t just for entertainment — they’re for building minds, hearts, and communities. We’re proud to be part of this pilot, and excited to keep weaving tales into our practice in ways that support every child’s voice, growth, and sense of self.
Written by Caitlin Bray, Grassroots Day Nursery