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Words Build Worlds

The critical path of early language development

A mother sits cross-legged on the floor, holding up a colorful book and smiling at a young toddler girl beside her. The girl, wearing a headband, looks at the book and reaches toward it. They are in a cozy living room.

Early language shapes lifelong success.

Language is our uniquely human way of connecting through words, gestures, and symbols. It’s how we share thoughts, express needs, and build relationships — the foundation of all learning. 

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If that’s language, then what’s “speech"?

Speech is the physical act of producing sounds that make up language. It calls for exact coordination of breathing, voice, and mouth movements to create the sounds of our words.

A woman and a young girl work on a colorful puzzle together at a wooden table in a cozy living room with brown sofas and cityscape pillows. Sunlight streams in, highlighting the puzzle pieces.
An orange speech bubble with a pointed tail at the bottom left, against a transparent background.

Children are born ready to learn any language on Earth

Their brains are wired for communication. The richness of their language environment shapes how these connections develop.

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A woman and a toddler play with soft toys at a table. The child holds a soccer ball, while the woman helps with a stacking toy. White doodles of books, rockets, and speech bubbles decorate the background.

1 million connections every second

90% of brain growth happens before the age of five. A child’s brain forms one million new neural connections every second during these early years. Conversational turns — just simple back-and-forth interactions between a child and an adult — are a huge part of this growth.

These interactions help children develop:

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Pattern recognition

Babies naturally notice and learn sound patterns in speech

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Speech abilities

that allow clear expression of thoughts

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Vocabulary

that grows their understanding

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Pre-reading skills

that prepare them for literacy

What IS a conversational turn?

Early language milestones

Birth-6 Months
  • Responds to voices and faces
  • Coos and makes vowel-like sounds
  • Begins babbling (adding consonants)
  • Recognizes familiar voices
  • Understands simple words like “no” and “bye-bye”
  • Points to wants or interesting objects
  • Says first words like “mama” or “dada”
  • Follows simple commands with gestures
  • Vocabulary grows from a few words to 50+
  • Combines two words (“more milk”)
  • Points to body parts when asked
  • Follows simple directions
  • Uses 3-4 word sentences
  • Asks simple questions
  • Follows two-step instructions
  • Speech is mostly understandable to familiar listeners
  • Tells simple stories
  • Uses complete sentences with detail
  • Follows multi-step directions
  • Understands most of what is said
A smiling woman holds a happy baby in her arms outdoors on a sunny day, surrounded by green trees. The baby is wearing a white shirt and navy blue suspenders, both appear joyful and engaged with each other.

The Power of Conversation

Children don’t just need to hear language. They need responsive interactions.

Every serve and return interaction between a child and adult strengthens the brain connections that support language development.

Here’s what the research says — children who experience more of these back-and-forth conversations show:

  • Larger vocabularies
  • Enhanced language development
  • Better verbal communication
  • Improved reading comprehension
  • Greater kindergarten readiness

Effectively Supporting Early Language Development

Early language development is too important to leave to chance. Here are some proven methods to support this vital set of skills:

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Daily Interactive Reading

Ask questions, have discussions, and follow children’s interests.

A woman reads a book to a group of young children sitting on the floor. The children are engaged and looking at the book, with one girl reaching out toward it. The setting appears to be a classroom or daycare.
Create Language-Rich Moments

Narrate daily activities like dressing, eating, and shopping.

An adult and a toddler smile at each other while playing with a blue toy in a nursery, with cribs and toys visible in the background.
Talk About Their Interests

Following a child’s lead creates engaged, meaningful conversations.

Two women sit at a table in a classroom, looking at and discussing documents or books. One woman holds a paper, while the other listens. Chairs and colorful wall decorations are visible in the background.
Professional Development

LENA Grow helps educators support early language development.

A man and a young girl sit outside, smiling as they read a book together. The man points at the pages while the girl, wearing a striped dress, looks at the book, engaged and focused.
Family Engagement

Empower families with strategies to boost interactive talk at home

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Measuring What Matters in Early Childhood

In today’s world, we can measure what matters and use that information to help children develop better language skills in early childhood.

LENA’s professional development program measures the back and forth conversations children experience with adults throughout the day. This program:

  • Shows teachers and caregivers where they’re already strong
  • Identifies opportunities to talk more
  • Guides improvements that really work
  • Tracks progress over time

The result? Children experience more brain-building conversations, and adults gain confidence in their ability to support every child’s development.

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Different Language Journeys

Opportunities for targeted support

When children experience more conversational turns, their language development gets a big boost. Unfortunately, there are dramatic differences in how many conversational turns children experience — depending, for instance, on where they spend their days.

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90% get 10+ turns/hour at home vs. 70% in child care

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50% get 30+ turns/hour at home vs. only 15% in child care

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10% get 60+ turns/hour at home vs. 1% in childcare

Rochelle Lewis with braided hair rests her head on her hand, looking at the camera. She has hoop earrings and is in front of an illustrated orange and yellow sunburst background.
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Language builds relationships, and relationships build language.

– Rochelle Lewis, early childhood educator in Memphis, Tenn.

The Impact of Early Language

Early conversations shape lifelong outcomes.

A groundbreaking 10-year study by LENA researchers published in the journal Pediatrics revealed the lasting impact of early talk:

  • Conversational turns at 18-24 months predicted IQ, verbal comprehension, and vocabulary a decade later.
  • These effects remained strong even after controlling for socioeconomic status.
  • The impact of back-and-forth conversations was stronger than adult words alone.

This research confirms what parents and educators intuitively understand. Quality interactions in the earliest years literally build the brain connections that support thinking and learning for life.

Read the Study

Resources to Help You Help Children Thrive

Ready to Transform Children's Futures?

Ready to boost early language development for the children in your life? It starts with you! Whether you’re looking to implement LENA programs, partner with us, or simply learn more, we’d love to connect.
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