This
chapter concerns about the research pertaining to the talk gap in a
historical and contemporary context. It focuses on: the natural language
environment of young children; the development of language environment
analysis (LENA); LENA Research Foundation (LRF) findings that confirm the
Hart and Risley study; new LFR findings; and recommendations aimed at helping
to close the talk and achievement gap. The magic of LENA lies in the
algorithmic models that are embedded in the software. Hart and Risley showed
that talkative parents have talkative children, a finding that we confirmed
using data from natural language corpus (NLC) to compare average daily child
vocalizations in children of parents in the highest and lowest 20th
percentiles with regard to adult word count. A focus on improving words and
turns, shared book reading, and turning off electronic media is the best way
to close the talk gap and may also be an efficient way to improve the social
and emotional environment.
