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The evidence base
smalltalk was developed by the Parenting Research Centre, an independent research and development organisation, and rigorously tested through the Victorian Government-funded Early Home Learning Study. The study included more than 2,200 families and established a strong evidence base for smalltalk’s impact.1
Evaluations have shown positive outcomes for parents and children, including improvements in parenting confidence, parent-child interactions and the home learning environment.1, 2, 3, 4
How the study was structured
In the original study, families took part in one of three approaches:
- Standard playgroups (without smalltalk content)
- smalltalk group-only (10-week playgroups)
- smalltalk plus (10-week playgroups plus six home coaching sessions)
Stronger interactions
Initial findings showed that smalltalk group-only improved the home learning environment and strengthened parents’ verbal responsiveness during interactions with their children.
The smalltalk plus approach showed the strongest results, with moderate to large improvements in parent-child interactions, including richer language use and greater child engagement during structured play.
Long-term evidence of impact
Follow-up research at ages 7 and 9 shows these benefits can continue over time.2, 3, 4
Children who participated in smalltalk plus showed:
- At age 7: stronger phoneme recognition and stronger self-regulation
- At age 9: higher NAPLAN spelling scores
These findings suggest that strengthening everyday parent-child interactions can support children’s learning outcomes over time.
Practitioner feedback
“Some families, the group sessions work fine for them. It works really well. For families that need extra support; most families that get the one-on-one in-home support gain more from the program. They’re more engaged”
– smalltalk practitioner
Real stories of smalltalk’s impact
Case study: Strengthening connection through play
For one family attending supported playgroup, smalltalk helped transform everyday play into opportunities for connection and shared enjoyment.
The family had attended the playgroup for a long time, but initially there were limited interactions between parents and children. The children often found it difficult to play together and engage positively, and the parents were less likely to join in their children’s play.
Through smalltalk, parents explored ways to notice their children’s cues, get down at their child’s level and join in play. Over time, the parents became more engaged and responsive, with more shared play and positive interactions between parents and children.
The family’s confidence in connecting and playing together grew, helping create more enjoyable and supportive everyday moments.
Case study: Supporting families through home coaching
For one family, home coaching provided dedicated time to explore strategies that supported their child’s wellbeing, participation and connection with others.
The child was experiencing challenges participating in early childhood settings and the family was finding it difficult to access local supports. Through regular home coaching sessions, the practitioner worked alongside the parent to explore smalltalk strategies, build predictable routines and strengthen everyday interactions with their child.
Together, they identified practical approaches that helped the child feel more secure and supported during daily activities. Over time, the parent developed greater confidence in responding to their child’s needs and using strategies that worked for their family. The family was also supported to connect with local services and navigate available supports.
By the end of the sessions, the family felt they had a greater understanding of their child and a range of practical strategies to draw on. The child was able to return to full days at kindergarten, while the family noticed more positive interactions and fewer challenging moments at home.
References
1. Hackworth, N.J., Berthelsen, D., Matthews, J., Westrupp, E.M., Cann, W., Ukomunne, O.C., Bennetts, S.K., Phan, T., Scicluna, A., Trajanovska, M., Yu, M., Nicolson, J.M. (2017). Impact of a brief group intervention to enhance parenting and the home learning environment for children aged6-36 months: a cluster randomised controlled trial. Prevention Science, DOI 10.1007/s11121-017-0753-9↩
2. Bennett, C., Westrupp, E.M., Bennetts, S.K., Love, J., Hackworth, N.J., Berthelsen, D. & Nicholson, J.M. (2024). An early parenting intervention focused on enriched parent-child interactions improves effortful control in the early years of school. Child Development, 00; 1-20. DOI: 101111/cdev.14166↩
3. Westrupp, E.M., Bennett, C., Cullinane, M., Hackworth, N.J., Berthelsen, D., Reilly, S., Mensah, F.K., Gold, L., Bennetts, S.K., Levickis, P., & Nicholson, J.M. (2018). EHLS at school; school-aged follow-up of the Early Home Learning Study cluster randomized controlled trial. BMC Pediatrics 19:148. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-018-1122-y↩
4. Nicholson, J. M., Bennetts, S. K., Love, J., Bennett, C., Westrupp, E. M., Hackworth, N. J., Cann, W., Matthews, J., Mensah, F., & Berthelsen, D. (2025, June 4-7). Five-, seven-, and eleven-year follow-ups of an early childhood parenting intervention: Learning and achievement outcomes of smalltalk [Conference presentation]. ICEPS 2025, Australia↩