A study out of Australia has applied a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model to LENA, underlining the importance of paying attention to parents’ individual circumstances.
Researchers found a correlation between three of LENA’s measures – adult word count, conversational turns, and child vocalizations — and children’s language and cognitive skills.
A growing body of research about early childhood education and cognitive development suggests that chatting with children, particularly from birth to age 3, is crucial. That thinking is at the heart of the program that Virginia Beach is now expanding with a nearly $450,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The former vice president correctly referred to recent research about poor children hearing 4 million fewer words, on average, than those in wealthier families, said Jill Gilkerson, the lead author of a 2017 study that the Biden campaign says he was citing. But she adds that there’s way more to the story when it comes to increasing a child’s verbal ability and IQ through early language.
Free Webinar: What Is a language environment? Making Space for Every Child’s Voice
This webinar reveals the hidden crisis of language isolation and shows how interaction-focused language environments drive child outcomes and help tackle some of the toughest challenges in early childhood education. Read more here >