Promoting Language Learning in At Risk Children: Empowering Parents at Home

The workshop will review B. Hart and T.R. Risely's research findings showing that children living in poverty hear fewer than a third of the words heard by children from higher-income families, and will discuss its effects on later language learning and school performance. The workshop reviews a new technology, LENA, used to sample the language environment of young children, and discusses how adult word counts are used in treatment of at risk children. We will discuss shared book reading as a context in that mother can be easily trained to provide language rich experiences to their children. We will review the American Academy of Pediatrics Literacy Promotion statement and 'Reach Out and Read' guidelines for parents' use with young children. Data collected in a sample of infants born preterm will also be reviewed to include child development outcomes at 8 months following a mother-child shared book reading intervention at home.

Please see Training Program website for description of a morning workshop also being offered by CFC21 on this day.