Talk, Read, Sing: Promoting brain development and literacy skills among babies and toddlers

Research shows that by the time children of low-income households enter kindergarten, they have heard 30 million fewer words than those in high-income households.

“In the Greater Lehigh Valley, statistics show that two out of every three children are not ready for kindergarten on time,” reported Jill Pereira, Vice President of Education for United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. “By the time that they reach third grade, a third of them are not reading on grade level, increasing the likelihood that they’ll drop out of high school. We have a bold goal to ensure all children are reading on grade level by the year 2025. We’re working with partners to level the playing field, so that all kids have the chance to succeed.”

For United Way and its partners, that means an intentional focus on literacy starting at birth.

According to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child at Harvard University, experiences build brain architecture. While genes provide the basic blue print, experiences shape the process that determines whether a child’s brain will provide a strong foundation for all future learning, behavior and health.

“By age three, 80% of a child’s core brain structure is already formed. If we’re waiting until kids start school to focus on literacy, we’re too late,” remarked Kelly Berk, RN, BSN, MPH, a member of the United Way-led Early Childhood Coalition, who specializes in maternal-fetal medicine as Network Director of Community Care Coordination for St. Luke’s University Health Network.

“We have a great opportunity to impact the success of our young children. We need to work with families to get them talking, reading and singing to their children,” said Berk.

According to the United States Department of Education, disparities in developmental outcomes emerge in infancy and widen in toddlerhood. A child from a low-income household is typically already 12-14 months below national norms in language and pre-reading skills by the time they enter kindergarten. “Quality early learning and parental involvement during a child's first five years is a key factor affecting their literacy success and puts them on the path to reading on level in third grade,” said Pereira.

In late 2018, more than 30 partners in the Early Childhood Coalition will launch a new campaign to promote early literacy skills among babies and toddlers. Adapted from a national program, Talk, Read, Sing includes multi-media messages and environmental prompts to teach parents and caregivers how to advance their children’s literacy skills from the time they’re born.

“Through the use of billboards, public service announcements and posters, Talk, Read, Sing takes everyday situations and turns them into learning opportunities,” said Pereira.

Talk, Read, Sing shares with parents and caregivers how simple actions — like describing objects seen during a walk or bus ride, singing songs or telling stories — can significantly improve a baby’s ability to learn new words and concepts.

“When parents talk to their children, they teach them vocabulary that enables them to build their stores of knowledge in ever increasingly complex networks that afford them a greater understanding of the world around them. Parents also teach their children how our language works, how sounds go together to form words and words to sentences, and how these all have meaning. These are keys to bringing life to words on a page. And when all of this happens in a positive, nurturing context of social interaction, parents foster young children's motivation to learn and positively affect their learning,” reported Robin Hojnoski, Ph. D., Associate Professor in Lehigh University’s College of Education and a member of the Early Childhood Coalition.

“Talk, Read, Sing is particularly promising because of its multi-pronged message - it goes beyond reading to include talking and singing -forms of interaction that some parents might feel more comfortable with or prefer,” added Dr. Hojnoski.

To spread the message, coalition members look to trusted community figures. “It’s been exciting to see how people have already embraced Talk, Read, Sing,” said Megan Radcliff, Kindergarten Readiness Coordinator VISTA at United Way. “Business owners and community leaders are excited to join us. They want to know how they can help, so you’ll see these messages and prompts in a number of community spaces such as churches, health centers, barber shops, grocery stores and laundromats.”

As a result of this campaign, Pereira expects more students to enter kindergarten ready academically, socially and emotionally in the next three to five years. Meanwhile, she hopes moms, dads and family members make new connections with their children. “Through Talk, Read, Sing,” she said, “we hope parents and families recognize their power in the future success of their children.”

Led by United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Early Childhood Coalition is comprised of educators, community members, parents, and others who work collaboratively to impact the language and literacy development of children, birth to 5 years-old. The mission of the Early Childhood Coalition is that all children, birth to 5 years-old, will achieve the widely held expectations in the developmental domains of language and literacy. The vision of the Early Childhood Coalition is that each child in the Lehigh Valley is reading on grade level by the end of the third grade.