Table 1.

smalltalk Program Content and Operational Definitions

Key Parenting Strategies (active skills training in-session and exemplified in DVDs)

1. Quality parent–child interactions: Responsive interactions characterised by parental sensitivity, warmth and cognitive stimulation

• Tuning in: refers to moments when the parent is fully focussed on what the child is doing, saying and possibly feeling. This creates the opportunity for the parent to be sensitive and responsive to the child’s needs.

• Following the child’s lead: involves paying attention to and building on the child’s interests. This provides opportunities for teachable moments

• Listening and talking more: involves increasing exposure to language (both the frequency and variety of words) in a way that promotes ‘conversation’ (e.g., interactive turn-taking that involves both listening and talking). This is a powerful driver of language development from a very young age.

• Using teachable moments: involve capitalising on everyday opportunities for learning. Children are most open to learning when they are interested in something. A teachable moment arises when a parent encourages a child to extend their knowledge or experience of something with simple comments and questions (e.g., “Yes, it’s a car – what colour is that car?”).

• Being warm and gentle: relates to the tone or quality of the interaction. The expression of affection and acceptance strengthens the relationship between parent and child and has powerful effects on child development and wellbeing.

2. Stimulating home learning environment: An environment rich in language and age-appropriate play activities

• Shared reading: a dialogic (shared) approach to reading that is interactional and relationship-building and promotes the use of both book and non-book literacy resources. Where parents have low literacy themselves, they are encouraged to ‘tell a story’ based on the pictures.

• Learning through everyday routines: predictable, positive daily routines that help children feel secure and provide a daily ‘infrastructure’ for parent–child interactions that promote learning and development (e.g., a bedtime routine that involves reading to children).

• Supporting children’s play: provision of developmentally appropriate play objects and activities essential for child development. Emphasis is given to the use of inexpensive, safe household objects that make excellent toys for learning.

• Using community resources: involves introducing parents to activities and resources in the community such as libraries and toy libraries.

• Monitoring use of media: emphasis is given to choosing age appropriate programs and limiting exposure to advertising and ‘background’ television (e.g., television that is on in the background, which interrupts and distracts children from their activities).

Supporting Information Provided on strategies to build parents’:

• Personal agency: building confidence, efficacy and reflective practice around parenting  • Self-care: enhancing/maintaining wellbeing, accessing practical, emotional & informational support, stress management  • Community connectedness: increasing parental awareness of and ability to access needed services, being supported by and involved with their community