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ELCs: Don't miss this special funding opportunity!

Florida’s 2025-26 budget allocates funds for LENA Grow implementations and expansions. Email GinaGates@LENA.org or attend an info session to learn more.

LENA Grow in Florida — Info Session Registration:

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Right now in Florida ...

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~1,000,000 children

attend child care or preschool in Florida.

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1 in 5 children

spends most of the day in language isolation.

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Only 1 in 14 children

gets the optimal amount of language interaction.

LENA Grow Empowers Early Childhood Education

higher kindergarten readiness
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increase in teacher-child interactions in Florida
0 %
boost in social skills assessment scores
0 %
better teacher retention
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On the Ground in the Sunshine State

In 2016, LENA partnered with the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County to pilot a brand new professional development program called LENA Grow.

In the years since, LENA Grow’s impact in Florida, and around the world, has grown dramatically. The sky is the limit …

Powered by Partnerships

As of July 2025, LENA Grow has reached 1,400+ classrooms across Florida. That’s just the start!

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LENA boosts classroom quality — period.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. LENA Grow measures — and improves — the teacher-child interactions at the heart of CLASS® assessments.

LENA Grow aligns to FSU’s 10 Components of Quality Care.

Download the Alignment
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Improving child outcomes, and proving our results.

Studies show that increasing interactions with LENA Grow boosts CLASS® scores, early literacy skills, kindergarten readiness, teacher confidence, and more. 

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LENA Grow preschool classrooms saw significant increases in all three CLASS® domains, especially Instructional Support.

Children in LENA Grow classrooms saw significant increases in early literacy scores.

Children in LENA Grow classrooms were approximately two times more likely to demonstrate readiness for kindergarten.

Teachers who participated in LENA Grow reported feeling significantly more valued as early childhood professionals.

Five Weeks That Change Everything

Teachers are loving LENA

  • 90% of Florida educators reported increased confidence in their teaching abilities after LENA Grow.
  • 96% say they would recommend LENA Grow to other teachers.
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This helps teachers to identify: Are they, in fact, using those conversational turns? They’re learning about how that correlates with CLASS. For us, it’s been a win-win.

– Nilda Price, HS/EHS Director of Training at Episcopal Children’s Services in Jacksonville, Fla.

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Ready to transform your early childhood program in Florida?

Whether you’re ready to implement LENA Grow or just want to learn more, we’d love to connect. 

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Connect with Gina Gates

Regional Partnerships Director GinaGates@LENA.org

See the latest resources ...