In a new case study, we explore the how/why/when/where of Ohio’s statewide implementation of the LENA Grow professional development program.
LENA - Building brains through early talk
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Every interaction counts.
“Everyone has their niche, and my niche is little kids”: One teacher’s journey in cultivating her students’ voices
One veteran teacher’s LENA Grow journey: “It kind of goes back to my childhood. I struggled with learning. I never really had anyone who taught me that as long as I kept trying, I could.”
State leaders on sustaining and scaling quality initiatives in early childhood education: Five lessons learned
Lesson #1: States can fund quality initiatives without sacrificing their commitment to access. … What else did we learn from state leaders in Ohio and Tennessee about scalable early childhood initiatives?
Amplifying conversations, transforming early childhood
In 2023, we were thrilled to announce a generous $5 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Here’s what that means for LENA’s future, and for our continued role in reshaping early childhood education.
Early childhood mental health, dual-language learners, the science of reading, and more: A look back at our most popular content of 2023
LENA’s journey through 2023 has been marked by revealing insights and transformative discussions. Join us as we take a look back at some of the blog posts, webinars, and resources that gained the most attention over the year.
Conversational turns linked to literacy skills: LENA participants nearly twice as likely to be kindergarten-ready
Children who participated in a LENA program were nearly two times more likely to demonstrate school readiness in language and literacy, compared to demographically matched controls.
Learning to read (and write) starts earlier than you think!
Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson, co-author of LETRS for Early Childhood Educators, on how learning to talk and learning to read and write happen in parallel. Learning to read starts earlier than you think, and conversational turns are an important piece of the puzzle!
LENA’s role in “The Right to Read” documentary: A focus on preliteracy skills
A documentary film from director Jenny Mackenzie and executive producer LeVar Burton features two LENA Start coordinators and their families.
With language and social-emotional delays on the rise, here’s one part of the solution
New data analysis shows that LENA Grow may help boost language and social-emotional Teaching Strategies GOLD® scores.
Tips for organizing early education classrooms to increase conversational turns
Your room’s arrangement, materials, and how you present them all affect learning, for both the children and you. How can you create a space that lets you focus on strong relationships with the children you care for?
Highlights from a Qualitative Evaluation of LENA Grow in Hartford: Nine Takeaways
Researchers from the University of Hartford highlight nine key insights from Hartford’s qualitative evaluation of the LENA Grow program in Hartford, Conn.
The power of conversational turns in early childhood education: Head Start is doing it right!
There’s a lot that goes into creating high-quality early childhood education. One simple yet powerful ingredient is a focus on fostering teacher-child interactions and creating robust language environments. Head Start and Early Head Start One show tremendous promise in that regard.
LENA Grow may help keep early educators in the profession, new evidence suggests
There’s strong evidence to suggest that LENA Grow, the evidence-based professional development program that helps early childhood educators create equitable language environments, has a beneficial impact on teacher retention.
The Power of Responsive Interactions in Supporting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Webinar highlights
What roles do conversational turns and responsive relationships play in infant and early childhood mental health?
Fostering family engagement and early literacy at Pasco County Schools: Webinar highlights
One of the largest school districts in the U.S. brought LENA Grow to its Early Head Start and Head Start classrooms. Watch these webinar highlights to hear their story.
Study finds causal link between conversational turns and socioemotional development in babies
Updated with new data insights! Researchers in Santiago, Chile, have used LENA technology to show important connections between conversational turns and social-emotional development in very young children.
Dual language learners in early childhood education: Webinar highlights
“You have it already in your heart. Get rid of your fear. Go for it. Try.” Highlights from LENA’s webinar about dual language learners in early childhood education.
“A soft landing spot, a happy place”: Celebrating early childhood educators
Just as the early childhood education profession is unique, so is each teacher’s story. This week, Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re telling just a few of them.
Let’s appreciate early childhood educators — truly, loudly, enthusiastically, and materially
Gather up those flashes of a well-timed hug, a generous smile, or an enthusiastic morning hello, and take more time to appreciate our early childhood teachers.
How Early Head Start/Head Start grantees use LENA Grow to meet performance standards during federal review
“The federal review team was impressed that LENA Grow was something we were doing for our teachers in the classroom,” said Jon-Vincent Jamir, PACT’s Head Start Area Manager and LENA Grow coach.
Are we failing our youngest dual language learners?: New data insights on child care language environments
Toddler and preschool classrooms across the U.S. provide significantly fewer conversational turns for dual language learners than for their monolingual, English-speaking peers. “[P]romoting language development for children who use heritage languages is among the most important things we can do,” said Dr. Jill Gilkerson, Chief Research and Evaluation Officer at LENA.
Lakeshore® partnership offers materials to help early educators increase quality interactions in the classroom
Developed in partnership with Lakeshore®, four kits are available to provide age-appropriate materials that align with the topics teachers explore during LENA Grow’s five-week coaching sequences and beyond.
LENA Grow goes statewide in Tennessee
“The TN CCR&R sees the LENA Grow program as an important piece of the puzzle in proper language and socio-emotional development for children in Tennessee,” said Heather Hicks, Director of the TN CCR&R.
Coaching for impact in Sarasota County: Increased TS GOLD® and CLASS® scores
An organization in Florida saw some amazing results in their very first LENA Grow classrooms. They want those results to have a positive impact on the whole community.