LENA in Alabama

Alabama, say Hello to LENA Grow

96% of teachers recommend it!

LENA Grow is evidence-based professional development that delivers powerful data without the hassle. Backed by 20+ years of research, LENA Grow focuses on the key marker of quality in early childhood education: teacher-child interactions.

Right now in Alabama ...

~200,000 children

attend child care or preschool in Alabama.

1 in 5 children

spends most of the day in language isolation.

Only 1 in 14 children

gets the optimal amount of language interaction.

LENA Grow Empowers Early Childhood Education

higher kindergarten readiness

0 x

increase in teacher-child interactions in Alabama

0 %

boost in social skills assessment scores

0 %

better teacher retention

0 x

On the Ground in Alabama

In Birmingham, the nonprofit Small Magic has partnered with LENA since 2019, bringing LENA Grow to more than 500 early childhood education classrooms.

How To Improve Child Care Quality: Talking More to Kids

Educators who have participated in the program say it’s had a deep impact. Many thought they were interacting equally with all children but realized that wasn’t true upon seeing data from the LENA devices. Read more …

How Birmingham, Ala., Used Tech to Support Youngest Learners

When Cities And Philanthropies Team Up, Good Things Happen

Racing To Get Kids Reading

LENA Grow boosts classroom quality — period.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. LENA Grow measures — and improves — the teacher-child interactions that play such a large role in Alabama Quality STARS.

Even at centers with the highest quality rating, many children experience very little interaction with their teachers. That needs to change. When it does, higher classroom quality follows.

Improving child outcomes, and proving our results.

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

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

Children in LENA Grow classrooms were approximately two times more likely to demonstrate school readiness on the BRIGANCE, i-Ready®, and KRA assessments.

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

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

Five Weeks That Change Everything

Teachers are loving LENA

94% of Alabama educators reported increased confidence in their teaching abilities after LENA Grow.
93% reported an increase in overall job satisfaction.

When we invest in children early, our entire community wins. Building a foundation of early literacy in our city will lead to long-term prosperity and growth.

– Ruth-Ann Moss, Executive Director of Small Magic in Birmingham, Ala.