Ohio, say hello to LENA Grow!

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Proven Impact in the Buckeye State

96% of Ohio teachers recommend it!

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Proven Impact in the Buckeye State

96% of teachers recommend it!

Backed by 20+ years of research, LENA Grow focuses on the key marker of quality in early childhood education: teacher-child interactions. Or, what LENA calls “conversational turns.”

  • The best investments in early childhood education deliver proven results.
  • Imagine equipping yourself with data-driven professional development that improves outcomes for both teachers and children — AND documents its own impact.
  • That’s LENA Grow.
LENA Grow sites in Ohio

⬤ LENA Grow Partners

  • 4c for Children
  • Action for Children
  • Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
  • Child Care Resource Center
  • Corp. for Appalachian Development
  • Early Childhood Resource Center
  • Mini University
  • Preschool Promise
  • OCCRRA
  • South Side Early Learning
  • Starting Point
  • YMCA of Northwest Ohio
As of May 2025, LENA Grow has reached 150 centers and 1,500 classrooms across Ohio. We're just getting started!
LENA Grow sites in Ohio

⬤ LENA Grow Partners

  • 4c for Children
  • Action for Children
  • Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
  • Child Care Resource Center
  • Corp. for Appalachian Development
  • Early Childhood Resource Center
  • Mini University
  • Preschool Promise
  • OCCRRA
  • South Side Early Learning
  • Starting Point
  • YMCA of Northwest Ohio
For research and clinical applications, LENA also partners Akron Children's Hospital, Baldwin Wallace University, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Kent State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio University, Ohio State University, the University of Akron, and the University of Toledo.

See LENA Grow in action at Preschool Promise in Dayton

With LENA Grow, every child gets the interactions they need.

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+68% language interaction for LENA Grow children.
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Children are 2x more likely to be kindergarten ready.
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Teachers are 2x more likely to stay in the profession.
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Healthy social behaviors increase 31%.

"One of our teachers actually said, ‘You know, I love this tool because it reminds me that I’m having meaningful interactions with these children and that it’s helping them to grow,’ which I just think is such a beautiful light bulb moment to see."

Amy Kronberg, Senior Manager of Early Learning Initiatives, Preschool Promise
Big gains in conversational turns across all of Ohio, especially for the children who need it most!

"One of our teachers actually said, ‘You know, I love this tool because it reminds me that I’m having meaningful interactions with these children and that it’s helping them to grow,’ which I just think is such a beautiful light bulb moment to see."

Amy Kronberg, Senior Manager of Early Learning Initiatives, Preschool Promise

Big gains in conversational turns, especially for the children who need it most!

“It encouraged me as a teacher, as an educator, as a nurturer. I could feel more confident to keep doing what I’m doing. I started seeing my children who were nonverbal really change the most.”

Kayla Hairston, Family Child Care educator in Maple Heights, Ohio
After LENA Grow, 91% of Ohio educators reported increased confidence in their teaching abilities.

96% of Ohio educators say they would recommend LENA Grow to other teachers.

After LENA Grow, 91% of Ohio educators reported increased confidence in their teaching abilities.

96% of Ohio educators say they would recommend LENA Grow to other teachers.

LENA Grow Improves Kindergarten Readiness

Preschoolers who participated in LENA Grow were ~2x more likely to demonstrate kindergarten readiness. Evaluation sites included school districts in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Explore the Data
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    The Impact of Early Language

    Early conversations shape lifelong outcomes.

    A groundbreaking 10-year longitudinal study published in the journal Pediatrics revealed the lasting impact of LENA Grow's main focus: quality adult-child interactions.

    • Conversational turns at 18-24 months predicted IQ scores and verbal comprehension 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.
    • An increase of just two conversational turns per hour correlated to one full-scale IQ point.
    Photo illustration showing child as a baby with his mom and then as an older child in early adolescence doing well in school
    Read More
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    LENA Grow Reduces Challenging Behaviors

    We recently studied the effect that positive interactions and conversational turns have on helping children express healthy social behaviors.

    The big idea? LENA Grow makes a big difference.

    See the Data

    Connect with Luis Bernal,
    Regional Partnerships Director
    LuisBernal@LENA.org