For quite some time, we have had compelling evidence that a rich language environment during the early years is critical and predictive of developmental outcomes. 

The news recently was a buzz with Dr. Jill Gilkerson’s findings, that interactive talk (the number of conversational turns back and forth) with children birth to 3 is “the single most important factor that drives both brain development and kindergarten readiness”. In fact, “conversational turns” between parents and their toddlers accounted for up to 27% of the variance in IQ, verbal comprehension, and receptive and expressive vocabulary 10 years later!!

Interested in hearing more? Listen to this 11 minute chat with the Senior Director of Research and Evaluation for the LENA Foundation as she elaborates on her recent research and the solid case for creating an early language learning environment where little ones are encouraged to engage in back and forth interactions during book reading, play, nursery rhymes, songs and of course talk.