Posts

• 10 Tips for Family Engagement
  We’ve pulled together 10 strategies for connecting with families in your local community.
• 2017: Year in Review
  This past year, we've seen the number of parents and caregivers focused on improving interactive talk increasing every day, and many have been putting into practice what they've learned through LENA-based solutions.
• 5 “Wows” and 5 “Worries” from LENA Conference 2017
  Ten key insights from presentations and discussions at the 2017 LENA Early Language Conference.
• 5 ways to make data a part of your program success story (or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the data)
  We’ve all heard the saying, “No data, no dollars,” but in the field of early childhood services, collecting objective and reliable data can be uniquely challenging. Learn about how to use your data to share the real story of the great work your program is doing.
• 7 Ways Forward on the Paths to Opportunity
  As we ponder learnings from the 2017 LENA Early Language Conference, the question emerges: where do we go from here? The discussions and presentations suggested seven ways forward.
• A Message to Early Childhood Educators — We see you!
  We see you washing paint off little fingers for the tenth time today. We see you using silly voices to make shared reading fun. And we see you putting your heart into your work.
• A parent perspective on LENA’s new longitudinal study
  Parent Traci Martin shares strategies for unpacking new research with parents, teachers, and caregivers.
• Atlanta Speech School uses LENA for families of hard of hearing children
  Staff from the Atlanta Speech School share how they use LENA feedback in coaching sessions with families to help increase their awareness and understanding of the audio environment in their home.
• Being culturally responsive to families during LENA Start classes and beyond
  Pedro Mendez, birth to three program administrator at Denver Public Library, explains how his team prioritizes and responds to the needs of families in a culturally appropriate way.
• Bright Beginnings LENA Grow pilot shows significant change in the language environment of children experiencing homelessness
  A pilot of the professional development program shows that teachers significantly increased the amount of interaction with the children in their classrooms.
• Case Study: How Sound Start Babies uses LENA SP to support parents
  Read about how a nonprofit in New Jersey uses LENA SP to provide targeted feedback and coaching to parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Case Study: Teen parent program adopts LENA Start to grow connections between clients, children
  A home-visiting program for teen parents in Boulder County expanded their services to include parent-group classes, to the benefit of clients and their children.
• Children show elevated language skills one year after LENA Start
  Children whose families participated in LENA Start are showing elevated language skills one year after the program, an analysis of longitudinal data shows.
• Clarke uses LENA technology to bridge home and school environments
  Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, a listening and spoken language program for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, has recently incorporated LENA technology as a “standard of care” for all children enrolled in their early intervention program.
• CLASS Scores Increase After Using LENA Grow at The Primary School
  Early childhood teachers at The Primary School in East Palo Alto, Calif., used LENA Grow professional development to better understand and improve interactions in their classrooms.
• Colorado Home Intervention Program (CHIP) uses LENA SP to simplify program logistics statewide
  The Colorado Home Intervention Program uses data from LENA SP to monitor language development in children who are deaf or hard of hearing and coach their parents to create a rich language environments.
• Early Head Start centers in Tennessee use LENA programs to improve early literacy
  Porter-Leath uses LENA programs to boost early literacy and connect teachers and families.
• Early Head Start programs use LENA Home to improve language and literacy outcomes
  To help families and home visitors collaborate to improve language outcomes for children, many Early Head Start programs are using LENA technology in tandem with coaching during home visits.
• Early learning classrooms in Fort Worth ISD using LENA Grow increase CLASS scores
  Classrooms that used LENA Grow, an experiential professional development program for early childhood teachers, increased scores in key CLASS domains compared to classrooms that did not use the program, a pre-post evaluation shows.
• Early pilot results show teacher approval, improvements in child language skills in classrooms using LENA Grow
  A pilot of LENA Grow in nine classrooms in Kansas found that teachers responded well to the program’s data-based coaching and children demonstrated better language skills after participating.
• Engaging resilience: How responsive caregiving lays the foundation for children to thrive
  It is imperative for children beginning at a young age have the opportunity for secure, engaging relationships.
• Equitable and inclusive classroom experiences: Your questions answered!
  We’re answering questions submitted during our webinar about how to create equitable and inclusive classroom experiences for children with Dr. Iheoma Iruka of HighScope, Ellen Roche of Trust for Learning, and Lauren Cooper from LENA.
• Family child care provider used LENA Grow to connect with parents, children
  For Pamela Robinson, a family child care provider in Georgia, using LENA Grow was an opportunity to show parents all the brain-building interaction that happens during the day in her home as she watches children.
• First Book Partnership Brings High-quality Books at Lower Cost
  LENA is teaming up with First Book, a nonprofit working exclusively with programs and schools serving children in need to ensure they have access to top-quality books. Through First Book's LENA Marketplace, partners can browse a curated collection of bilingual and wordless books.
• First paper published linking conversational turns with brain structure
  The first research showing a relationship between conversational turns and brain structure has ben published in JNeurosci. The paper investigates how back and forth interaction between children and their adult caregivers relate to white matter connectivity in the brain.
• Five cities will replicate Providence Talks, offering LENA programs for parents and teachers citywide
  Five cities have been selected to replicate Providence Talks — one of the first early language initiatives implemented at the municipal level — with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
• Five things to know about LENA and privacy
  At LENA, we take data security and privacy seriously. We meet the highest industry standards for data protection.
• Four strategies one nonprofit uses to boost literacy citywide
  Calgary Reads, a nonprofit in Alberta, Canada, uses LENA Start as a core component of their citywide strategy to boost early literacy in Calgary.
• Frameworks for understanding effective family engagement
  Working with families and communities is at the heart of what we do at LENA. This post provides an overview of well-established definitions of family engagement that inform our programs.
• From the archives: Conversations with adults boost child language development, study finds
  UCLA professor Dr. Frederick Zimmerman explains his 2009 research which indicates conversational turns have unique power to boost child language development.
• Georgia Department of Public Health uses community partnerships and Project LAUNCH funding to scale parent programming county-wide
  The team at the West Central Health District drew on a range of existing community partners to find space to run classes, recruit parents, and scale impact.
• Harnessing the power of toddler talk for long-term child outcomes
  Megan Carolan, Director of Policy Research at the Institute for Child Success, shares how families, schools, and communities can all play a role in driving child language development.
• Honoring Pioneers in Improving Early Language Development
  Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 Terry Paul “Making a Difference” awards! These awards are given at our biennial conference, to recognize outstanding contributions to fostering talk with children birth to three.
• How coaches can help teachers take a deep dive into LENA data
  Explore ideas and strategies to support teachers get the most out of their LENA reports and drive changes in interactive talk in the classroom.
• How to harness the untapped potential of family child care providers
  We sat down with Jessica Sager, CEO of All Our Kin, to learn how boosting support for family child care providers can help solve America’s child care crisis.
• Implementing statewide PD for ECE teachers in Mississippi: Questions from the webinar
  We had the privilege of hosting a webinar featuring our partners in Mississippi to learn how they implemented LENA Grow at a statewide level. Here, we answer common questions that arose during the webinar.
• Infant and parent brainwaves synchronize during playtime
  Parents’ brainwaves track and respond to changes in their infant’s brain activity when they play together.
• Infant and toddler CLASS assessment: Your questions answered!
  Teachstone’s senior research advisor discusses the state of early childhood classrooms, challenges and opportunities for growth, and answers common questions about CLASS.
• Initial longitudinal evaluation results: Huntsville children whose parents participated in LENA Start have stronger literacy skills two years later
  Promising new data show that children whose families participated in LENA Start, a parent-group program focused on increasing early talk, demonstrated considerably higher early literacy scores and were far more likely to be at an advanced literacy level entering pre-K.
• Introducing LENA Home 2.0 – Easier to deliver and more accessible!
  The May 2018 release of LENA Home, which adds an early language focus to home visiting initiatives, includes easier access to key metrics, a fully revised coaching guide, and a refreshed online library of print and video resources.
• It’s never too late for interactive talk! Your questions on conversational turns research answered.
  In 2018, researchers published three studies examining the long- and short-term effects of interactive talk. Here we’ve answered the top questions on the role of conversational turns in child development.
• It’s Time to Shine a Light on Language Isolation in Infant and Toddler Classrooms
  New grant opportunities are making it possible to adopt data-informed strategies for ensuring that we can look forward to a time when every child’s day is filled with wonderful, nourishing conversation.
• Just call us LENA
  We're excited to announce that we're simplifying our name to LENA. This change reflects who we are and the work we’re doing to support parents, educators, and researchers in improving the language environments of children worldwide.
• Justice starts at birth
  In response to recent events, we have made a point to step back and deeply reflect in order to be both authentic and to highlight commitments on which we can and will act.
• Launch Fund Grant Recipients 2020 – Welcome to our new partners!
  In the month of June, we made awards to 12 communities to launch LENA programs. We are pleased to introduce you to our newest LENA partners!
• LENA Grow coach shares best practice
  A peer coach shares how she incentivizes teachers during the LENA Grow program.
• LENA Grow: Lessons from our learning site
  We launched a learning site to gain hands-on experience implementing our professional development program for early childhood teachers. Read what we learned about establishing trust, engaging staff, and what’s next.
• LENA Launches Local “Learning Site” for LENA Grow
  We’re excited to announce the first LENA Grow site in Colorado in partnership with the Aspen Center for Child Development, and this time LENA staff will be playing an active role in the coaching!
• LENA Programming Aligns with Head Start’s Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework
  Learn more about how LENA’s programs support key aspects of Head Start’s updated Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework.
• LENA researchers’ work featured in new Netflix series
  Research by Dr. Eric Walle and Dr. Anne Warlaumont on the relationship between child language development and movement is featured in a new Netflix documentary, Babies.
• LENA Start partners with school-readiness texting program to add continued support for parents after graduation
  Parents who graduate from LENA Start will be enrolled in Ready4K, an evidence-based program which sends texts to parents with suggestions on how to increase interaction with children.
• LENA Start Reflections & Funding Announcement
  LENA has the opportunity to offer matching funds through the generosity of philanthropists who are interested in expanding the reach of LENA Start. Applications are now open for 2019 LENA Start Matching Funds!
• LENA Start^® Triples Its Reach
  In the fall of 2017, LENA Start expanded to 16 metro areas, in partnership with 11 organizations around the country.
• Let’s NOT stop talking about talk.
  At LENA, we believe that adult caregivers have the power to make a difference in a child’s life. Helping parents – and early childhood teachers – use that power to boost vocabulary and literacy is a good thing.
• Libraries serve as community catalysts to build pre-literacy skills
  Public libraries around the country are using LENA Start to build children’s early literacy skills, connect families with community, and increase library engagement.
• Making a difference: We reached our goal to impact 10,000 children in 2019!
  Because of our work, more than 10,000 children experienced 14 million brain-building conversational turns this year.
• Matching funds support launch of new LENA Start sites nationwide
  Over the last two years, LENA Start has quickly expanded into 35 communities across the United States and Canada. Read about our newest community partners launching LENA Start this fall through our ongoing matching funds opportunity.
• Meet Miss Vera
  Vera Dunson was skeptical at first. After all, she’s in her 70s, and she knows how to take great care of the kids in her classroom — what difference was having them wear a little device once a week going to make? But the results surprised her.
• Meet the new LENA Grow, redesigned for even greater impact!
  The new LENA Grow is refreshed, streamlined, and ready to bring an early language focus to your professional development initiative for early childhood teachers.
• Mom credits pre-teen son’s success to increased interactive talk in early childhood
  Christine Gardy, a mom who gained insights from LENA feedback while her son was just a baby, attributes much of his success 10 years later to increased interactive talk.
• Mom uses LENA technology to advocate for more robust school support for daughter who is hard of hearing
  Lisa Eberlein used LENA technology to investigate the language environment her daughter experienced at school. She used the data to demonstrate the need for her daughter to have an FM system in the classroom.
• New meta-analysis confirms that LENA’s automated measures significantly predict child language outcomes
  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.
• New report from Escambia County on LENA Grow Shows CLASS® Gains
  Data from the first year of partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County (ELCEC) shows that classrooms using LENA Grow, our professional development program for early childhood educators, showed gains on CLASS® assessment scores.
• New research says how much you talk with babies is linked to their IQ in adolescence
  10-year longitudinal study published in Pediatrics correlates interactive talk in early childhood with later cognitive outcomes.
• New research sheds light on the importance of conversational turns
  New research by a team at Harvard and MIT used LENA technology and brain imaging to measure the relationship between children’s language experience and their brain activity. The study found that conversational turns predicted variance in verbal scores, while the sheer number of adult words did not.
• New research strengthens link between adult-child conversation and brain structure, reading skills
  A new study exploring associations between family socioeconomic background, children’s brain structure, and children’s reading skills indicates that children who experience more conversational turns may have increased brain growth, and in turn, better reading skills.
• Now is the time to support child care providers in building positive interactions
  It’s time we acknowledge that early childhood teachers are brain architects.
• Parent Profile: Kristen Rhodes finds community, concrete feedback in LENA Start program
  A mom who graduated from LENA Start shares how the program helped her to connect with her daughter and her community.
• Parent Profile: Lily Ellison Shares how LENA Start Changed her Approach to Reading
  “The thing I found the most interesting in the classes was the difference between reading to and reading with a child,” Lily explained. “Roseanna had heard the entire Harry Potter series, but we didn’t read it together, so the same parts of her brain weren’t lighting up.”
• Parent Recruitment 101: A Q&A with Jennifer Calderon
  A Recruitment Specialist shares her strategies for recruiting parents and families to participate in early childhood intervention programs.
• Parents as Teachers Affiliates Add an Early-talk Focus
  LENA and multiple affiliates of Parents as Teachers, a MIECHV-approved home visiting organization, are working together to promote optimal early development for children by supporting and training parents and caregivers.
• Parents gain confidence, skills, and awareness through LENA Start classes
  A young couple from Texas share how LENA Start classes helped them gain confidence in their parenting skills after the birth of the first daughter.
• Providence Talks replication: Your questions answered!
  We’re answering questions submitted during last week’s webinar about early childhood innovation at the municipal level.
• Putting a bow on 2018 and looking forward to 2019
  2018 has been an incredible year for LENA with new research, strong partnerships, and 10 million conversational turns! We're thoroughly excited about the road ahead and all that 2019 will bring as we work toward our vision of all children entering school prepared for success.
• Q & A with Dr. Dana Suskind
  Dr. Dana Suskind shares about the origins of her book, how she uses LENA technology, and why we all need to "spread the words."
• Q & A with Elizabeth Szymanski: Supporting family child care providers with business services
  Elizabeth Szymanski shares about how family child care providers could help end America’s child care crisis, the resources and support they need to thrive, and how MyVillage eliminates common challenges.
• Q & A: How a philanthropic investment in LENA advanced the early childhood portfolio of the Overdeck Family Foundation
  We sat down with Carly Roberts, Program Officer, Early Impact at Overdeck Family Foundation, to learn more about why the foundation invested in LENA and what’s surprised them along the way.
• Q&A with Dr. Beate Peter: Researching early speech and language intervention for children with classic galactosemia
  A new clinical trial will use LENA SP to evaluate the effectiveness of a speech-language intervention for infants with a known genetic risk factor for speech and language delays.
• Q&A with Dr. Fred Zimmerman
  Dr. Zimmerman explains his latest research into how environments and external factors affect population health and child development.
• Q&A with Dr. Jim Duggan: Why school districts should prioritize early childhood
  Your questions on school readiness answered by the assistant superintendent of Bourbonnais 53 school district in Illinois.
• Q&A with Dr. Loretta Rudd: How University of Memphis is broadening their collective impact approach to scale early childhood programming
  Through a collective impact model, the University of Memphis is implementing LENA programs to build stronger families, increase teachers’ skills, and support students’ learning in their local community.
• Q&A with Dr. Reem Khamis-Dakwar: Empowering families to reclaim minority languages with LENA Start
  In New York City, LENA Start classes empowered Spanish- and Arabic-speaking families to value their native languages and maintain them across generations.
• Q&A with economist Flávio Cunha
  An economics professor explains his research on human capital formation, with a particular focus on understanding the forces that explain the large differences in the quality and quantity of investments that children receive from their parents and family.
• Q&A with Elliot Haspel, author of “Crawling Behind: America’s Child Care Crisis and How to Fix It”
  We were delighted to welcome author Elliot Haspel to our staff book club discussion.
• Q&A with Emma Quigan: How COMET Auckland is using LENA with indigenous families in New Zealand
  In New Zealand, LENA is a tool to empower whānau (families) to connect to culture and each other.
• Q&A with Kai-ama Hamer: A discussion of family engagement and parent recruitment
  Family engagement specialist Kai-ama Hamer shares strategies for involving parents in community and school-based programs.
• Q&A with Katherine Bryan: Funding evidence-based programs to improve outcomes for children
  Katherine Bryan is a Program Officer at the Urban Child Institute in Memphis. Here, she shares about why the institute invested in LENA programs and how early investments have the potential to move the needle on kindergarten readiness.
• Research Roundup: Brain Waves, Intelligence, and Voter Attitudes
  Did you know your brain waves sync with your baby’s? Read the study and see other exciting new findings in this month’s research roundup.
• Research Roundup: How adult friendship, socioeconomic status, and screen time may affect developing brains
  Read the latest studies exploring how everything from a child’s socioeconomic status to the hours they spend looking at a screen are related to their brain development.
• Research Roundup: How parents can shape children’s early brain development through reading
  Three new studies highlight how reading supports brain growth and cognitive function.
• Research Roundup: How researchers are using LENA technology to make new discoveries
  Read about how LENA technology is facilitating new research breakthroughs.
• Research Roundup: How researchers are using LENA technology to understand child development
  Learn how different scientists are using LENA technology to better understand how children learn and develop and in what type of environment they thrive.
• Research Roundup: How social influences shape a child’s development
  Read new research that sheds light on how children’s peers, caregivers, and social environments may affect their development.
• Research Roundup: How to reduce the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  Explore research-based strategies for helping children overcome adversity.
• Research Roundup: Learning during the first few years of life
  Three new studies provide insight into how children learn during the first months and years of life.
• Research Roundup: Long-term impacts of early childhood education
  Read about new studies examining the long-term impacts of early childhood education on individuals and society as a whole.
• Research Roundup: New information on infant language acquisition
  Read summaries of three newly-published studies exploring how young children develop and acquire language.
• Research Roundup: Supporting young children and caregivers during crisis
  As normal caregiving routines are disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak, three research studies provide insight into how to support children and caregivers.
• Research Roundup: The Latest Findings on Reading
  We all know we should read with kids. But why? See the latest research on how reading affects child development.
• Research Roundup: Winter 2017
  Want to stay up-to-date on happenings in the realm of early childhood education? Our new blog series is designed to keep you in the loop on the latest early childhood education news, research, and updates. Check it out!
• Resources to help support your family and community during COVID-19
  Amidst mounting pressures, we believe the core truths of LENA still apply: early talk is key, and caregivers are the secret sauce.
• Results from parent survey confirm LENA Start is building stronger families
  We analyzed data from 1,700 program participants and found that families report spending more time with children, talking more, and feeling more confident in their parenting abilities.
• School districts use LENA programs to improve kindergarten readiness, child outcomes
  School districts around the country are increasingly investing in the early years to give children an equitable start long before kindergarten.
• School readiness team at Huntsville City Schools uses LENA Start to increase children’s kindergarten readiness
  To help prepare children to succeed in kindergarten, one school district in northern Alabama launched an early language intervention to boost cognitive development in children ages 0-3.
• Sequatchie Valley Head Start uses LENA Grow to meet performance standards for professional development
  Sequatchie Valley Head Start uses LENA Grow to meet federal coaching requirements and work with teachers geographically separated over five counties.
• Simple, timely resources to build resilience in child care through talk
  As child care programs navigate disruption this fall, a focus on maintaining positive interactions can help reduce stress and build responsive relationships.
• St. Vrain Valley Schools launches new initiative to close the early talk gap
  Community organizations in Longmont, Colo. are partnering to bring LENA Start to local families to help increase children’s school readiness.
• State of Georgia Adopts LENA Grow™
  The first of six new LENA Grow™ implementations nationwide, the program will serve 800 children in 16 centers across the state during the first year!
• Study finds that families who participate in LENA Start increased adult words, conversational turns, and child vocalizations
  Families who participated in LENA Start provided increasingly rich home language environments for their children, expanding how much they talked to and with them over the duration of the three-month class, compared to families who did not attend, a new study has found.
• Study from University of Minnesota finds LENA Start fits well into community infrastructure
  A new study on LENA Start from the University of Minnesota discovered that the program can be successfully implemented in community-based settings and that families enjoy participating.
• Survey results: How COVID-19 is impacting child care providers
  Our team surveyed hundreds of people working with young children – including teachers, family child care providers, and center directors — to better understand how they have and will continue to adapt to protect the wellbeing of their children and staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Teachers and coaches share their experiences with LENA Grow
  We’ve interviewed LENA Grow participants nationwide for an inside look at what it’s like to complete the professional development program for early childhood teachers.
• Teachers, children benefit from LENA Grow Pilot with Teaching Strategies
  During the four-month pilot, LENA technology was used to measure talk and provide objective feedback to early childhood educators in two early childhood classrooms in central Virginia. In one classroom, an impressive 87.5 percent of children experienced an increase in either adult words or conversational turns.
• Texas Children’s Hospital Becomes First Healthcare Organization to Launch LENA Start
  In the summer of 2016, Texas Children’s Hospital launched LENA Start to support healthy developmental outcomes for children at a population-wide level.
• Thoughts on 15 years and the staying power of LENA
  Reflecting on the past 15 years, Judi and I are struck once again by how much the team at LENA has achieved drawing from Terry’s first insights and ideas.
• To improve quality in child care, Dallas nonprofit looks to LENA Grow with virtual coaching sessions
  Coaches have created a new system to ensure teachers are still receiving crucial PD on how to support early brain development.
• To improve quality outcomes, Early Head Start program looks to LENA Grow for timely feedback
  Learn how one of the most successful Early Head Start programs in the country used LENA Grow to improve quality classroom practices.
• Two moms establish new parenting habits through LENA Start classes
  Best friends Kathryn Royse and Samantha Stover enrolled in LENA Start classes in Houston together and began looking for ways to increase conversation at home.
• Understanding how to support early brain development: Four themes that emerged in 2019
  This year, we explored many different aspects of early brain development through special webinars, blog posts, and conversations with experts. Here, we’ve highlighted four themes that emerged during 2019.
• Universities use LENA to put early childhood research into action
  Universities that use LENA are putting research into action, producing valuable data, and creating hands-on learning opportunities for students and faculty.
• Urban library expands reach and impact through community partnerships
  San Mateo County Libraries has built successful partnerships to boost the reach and impact of their programs. Learn about how they are delivering LENA Start through partnerships with San Mateo County Housing Authority, Ravenswood Family Health Center, and The Primary School.
• Virginia Beach family increases two-generation, bilingual engagement with children through LENA Start
  Taking LENA Start classes helped the Ochoa family learn to connect with their children in new ways.
• Virtual LENA Start classes help parents and teachers to connect and collaborate
  At Best Memories Academy in Orlando, parents and teachers are partnering together virtually to create rich early childhood language environments for children.
• What’s new in LENA Start 3.0
  We’re excited to share that we’ve released a new version of our group program for parents and families.
• Why I joined LENA after 25 years in the public school system
  Laura Camp, one of LENA’s most recent hires, joined the team after 25 years in public education. Read about why she left to join the movement to close the talk gap.
• Wisconsin health care company offers parenting classes as employee benefit
  In a state where 77 percent of employers report having trouble finding employees, North Central Health Care is looking for an answer in an unexpected place: early childhood.