Importance of language development in low-income, high-risk children

Article Summary:

A team of researchers at the University of Miami (UM) used LENA technology to evaluate how interactive talk in child care settings influences the language development of children from low-income or high-risk circumstances. Over the course of a year, researchers collected hundreds of hours of audio from the child language environment at the UM Linda Ray Intervention Center, which LENA technology turned into data. Analysis of the data suggests that children who experienced more conversational turns with their teachers developed better language skills. These language skills form the foundation for later school readiness skills like literacy and social/emotional skills, the lead researcher said.