Children start developing reading skills from the moment they hear their first words. Long before recognizing letters or sounds, babies build brain connections through simple interactions with caring adults. These everyday exchanges create the foundation for early literacy success. And literacy skills that last a lifetime.
Recent assessments show reading scores across America hitting concerning lows. Many children struggle with basic reading skills, creating challenges that follow them through school and beyond. One solution? Start much earlier — even before children recognize their first letter. Because early literacy skills are vital for long-term literacy success.
Early literacy success doesn’t mean teaching babies to read. No flashcards needed! It really just includes all the natural skills children develop through responsive relationships with adults. Children learn to recognize sounds, understand vocabulary, and connect meaning to words naturally through these interactions, which are also called “conversational turns.”
Conversational turns are one of the most effective tools for building early literacy skills because they physically build brain circuits responsible for reading and speech.
Understanding the Science of Conversational Turns
What exactly is a conversational turn? When an adult says something and a child responds (or vice versa), with no more than five seconds in between, that’s one turn. Even a baby’s coo counts when an adult acknowledges it! These turns happen naturally during diaper changes, meals, play time, or book sharing.
When children experience more turns, these brain pathways become stronger and more efficient, creating better foundations for literacy. Scientists at MIT, Columbia University, and the University of Washington independently discovered that children who experienced more turns had stronger brain connections. This was particularly noticeable in the regions related to language and literacy development. It may seem simple, but the number of interactions a child experiences early in life may prepare their brains to be skilled readers years later. Children develop larger vocabularies as they hear varied words in meaningful contexts. Their understanding of reading and writing grows as they learn to follow conversation threads and make connections between ideas.
Children who experience these high interaction levels show measurably better language processing speeds, stronger vocabulary, and more advanced literacy skills. Longitudinal research points to a specific goal: 40 conversational turns per hour. It has also shown that even small differences in conversational turns during critical development windows may be linked to IQ scores 10 years later. But how many children actually experience this ideal level of serve and return interactions?
The Reality of Interactions in Early Learning Environments
Even in child care centers that have achieved the highest possible quality improvement rating, many children experience very few conversational turns. Approximately one in five children in child care settings experiences fewer than five conversational turns per hour during most of their day, which researchers have called “language isolation.” These children might have brief interaction peaks during specific activities like arrival or lunch but spend the majority of their time with minimal adult engagement.
Some early childhood programs have found effective ways to address these issues. In settings where teachers receive specialized coaching on interactive talk, children experience significantly more conversational turns.
The good news is there are some specific strategies you can use to create these language-rich environments!
Practical Strategies for Increasing Conversational Turns
The most important tip? Talk with children instead of to them. See what we mean by this below!
For Infants (0-12 months)
Respond to sounds infants make! When babies coo or babble, answer back with warm speech and then pause to let them “reply.” Another easy way to improve interactions is to turn daily routines into conversation opportunities. For example, narrate diaper changes, describe food textures during meals, and sing simple songs with pauses for babies to join in. These exchanges build brain pathways for language long before first words appear.
For Toddlers (1-3 years)
Follow toddlers’ lead during play to spark conversation. When a child shows interest in something, ask open-ended questions. Expand on their answers by adding descriptive words. Make book-sharing interactive by pausing to discuss pictures rather than reading every word. Try the CROWD approach: Completion prompts, Recall questions, Open-ended questions, Wh-questions, and Distancing questions. This helps them connect the story to their experiences.
For Preschoolers (3-5 years)
Take conversations beyond the present moment. Discuss past experiences. Make predictions and connect new concepts to familiar situations. Introduce specialized vocabulary in meaningful contexts. For example, use “excavating” instead of “digging” during sandbox play. Or talk about “symmetry” during art activities. Create opportunities for longer conversations by planning activities that naturally encourage discussion, like class cooking projects or nature explorations.
Many educators find that improvements with just one child or activity naturally spread across all their interactions. So, if you have a quiet child or child who speaks a different language at home, remember that every interaction counts! Even small changes can make a big difference.
Importance of Measuring and Improving Interactions
Understanding language patterns in early education settings requires more than gut feelings. Research-backed measurement tools now allow educators to objectively track conversational turns throughout the day. Such objective measurements often reveal surprising patterns that educators weren’t aware of. Like which children receive fewer interactions or which daily routines contain the most conversation opportunities.
Professional development programs that incorporate objective measurement with coaching show remarkable results. LENA’s technology is a great example of how this type of measurement can be done! It’s a wearable device combined with cloud-based software that delivers detailed feedback that helps adults make proven, sustainable increases in interactive talk with children. Research also shows that when educators receive specific feedback about their patterns of talk with young children, they typically are more intentional about talking more with them. The most effective programs combine measurement with practical strategies, peer discussion, and ongoing support rather than one-time workshops.
The improvements in conversational turns directly impact early literacy skills. Children in classrooms with increased positive interactions show improved vocabulary and verbal understanding. They also are able to identify words and syllables better.
Research suggests a promising connection between early interaction-rich environments and early literacy success. Future studies may reveal how these early conversations support reading comprehension through third grade and beyond. Creating systems that support this kind of interaction-focused improvement requires thoughtful planning at every level.
Responsive relationships that include lots of conversational turns are essential for early literacy success and literacy development. And every positive back-and-forth exchange with a child counts! By making conversational turns a deliberate focus in early childhood education, we can transform children’s futures.
Reflect!
- What daily routines could you modify to increase quality back-and-forth exchanges with children?
- What barriers exist in your setting that might be limiting conversational turns, and how might you address them?
- How might you share the importance of responsive relationships with families in a way that’s supportive and actionable?
