What do Smart Talkers do?

Smart Talkers pre-school Groups are a fun way to stimulate children’s spoken language development. Devised by qualified, experienced specialist speech & language therapists, these sessions are for all children.

Using signing, games, stories & songs, we work on everything a child needs to be a confident, successful, effective communicator including attention, listening, vocabulary, understanding and expressive language skills.

We have different classes available:

Smart Talkers: Small Talkers: especially for 3- 4 year olds to prepare them for school.

Smart Talkers: Tiny Talkers: for around 18m -2 years

Smart Talkers: Baby Talk: for around 0m – 18 months

Other optional training leads to franchisees being able to run Smart Talkers signing classes and become Languageland trainers for nursery and school staff.

The aims of all the groups are consistent with the Department of Education Early Years Foundation Stage.

Why is there a need for Smart Talkers?

We take the development of communication for granted but it is actually the best achievement of our lifetime. We spend time on learning to be better readers, writers or dancers but we can all be better communicators too.

40,000 children started school in 2008 without adequate spoken language ability (Wright, J., 2008) and a Government report in 2008 showed that this can be as high as 50% of children in some areas (Bercow, J.2008). A questionnaire to Primary Head Teachers by Small Talkers’ Director, Libby Hill showed that 100% were concerned about declining speech, language and communication skills.

We live in a very visual, fast- paced age and often the first time a child is required to do any formal listening is when they start school. Smart Talkers work on the pre-requisite skills so the Teacher can begin to do her job immediately. Many, many children have to be taught to attend and listen before they can begin the demands of the national curriculum. All children can benefit.

What is the time commitment?

It takes less than an hour to do each session plus travel time, you would also need to do some work on spreading the word about what you can offer

What do we need from you?

Enthusiasm, drive and energy are much more important than qualifications or previous experience.

The facts

The Groups started January 2009 but part of an independent speech and language therapy practise established in 2007.

What we Offer:

Franchise opportunity with defined area.

Initial Start up Costs:

£6500 franchise fee, approx £300 equipment, Enhanced CRB check approx £60, insurances approx £85, T-Shirt £14, (you need a PC and a printer).

Ongoing monthly costs

marketing/advertising  approx £20 per month minimum,10% of turnover as management fee, annual accountant audit approx £300, travel.

Annual costs

Insurance approx £85.

Training offered

The training is unique and takes place over 2 weekends. It includes:

• Normal speech, language & communication development
• Vital components: attention, listening, information-carrying words, vocabulary, sentence structure, social interaction etc.
• What happens when things go wrong?
• Ways to encourage speech, language & communication development
• Basic functional signing
• Group running
• Working with parents
• Book keeping & accounts
• Marketing & advertising
• Web site/page development
• Search engine optimisation
• Business planning
  • Business development
  • How to access other sources of help

Support offered

Ongoing access to speech and language therapy team plus business advisor. All programmes provided.

How to find out more:

Telephone 0844 704 5888

Email enquiries@smalltalk-ltd.co.uk

Website: www.smarttalkers.org.uk