every parent wants what is best for their child however not every parent is
their child however not every parent is
their child however not every parent is given the same opportunity to advocate
given the same opportunity to advocate
given the same opportunity to advocate for their child’s best interest in the
for their child’s best interest in the
for their child’s best interest in the way that they should
way that they should
way that they should Providence Rhode Island identified this
Providence Rhode Island identified this
Providence Rhode Island identified this need and with funding from Bloomberg
need and with funding from Bloomberg
need and with funding from Bloomberg Durant Bloomberg philanthropies has
Durant Bloomberg philanthropies has
Durant Bloomberg philanthropies has developed innovative programming which
developed innovative programming which
developed innovative programming which aims to quotes the gap that so many of
aims to quotes the gap that so many of
aims to quotes the gap that so many of our young children face our program
our young children face our program
our young children face our program Providence talks supports families and
Providence talks supports families and
Providence talks supports families and identifying this need and helping them
identifying this need and helping them
identifying this need and helping them to prioritize talk and engagement at a
to prioritize talk and engagement at a
to prioritize talk and engagement at a time when children need at most those
time when children need at most those
time when children need at most those first three years of life something we
first three years of life something we
first three years of life something we know is talk builds the brain we must
know is talk builds the brain we must
know is talk builds the brain we must talk to our children this simple fact
talk to our children this simple fact
talk to our children this simple fact can appear overwhelming to families who
can appear overwhelming to families who
can appear overwhelming to families who don’t have the supports in place to
don’t have the supports in place to
don’t have the supports in place to understand its importance every parent
understand its importance every parent
understand its importance every parent every parent has the ability to
every parent has the ability to
every parent has the ability to transform the trajectory of their
transform the trajectory of their
transform the trajectory of their child’s learning together we can help
child’s learning together we can help
child’s learning together we can help them to actualize this potential
them to actualize this potential
them to actualize this potential together we can inspire parents to be
together we can inspire parents to be
together we can inspire parents to be their child’s first and most important
their child’s first and most important
their child’s first and most important teacher as a new mother and teacher I
teacher as a new mother and teacher I
teacher as a new mother and teacher I witnessed firsthand the disparity and
witnessed firsthand the disparity and
witnessed firsthand the disparity and opportunity for young people as a home
opportunity for young people as a home
opportunity for young people as a home visitor I have worked with families who
visitor I have worked with families who
visitor I have worked with families who question the importance of their
question the importance of their
question the importance of their language they they question whether
language they they question whether
language they they question whether their experiences are even worth
their experiences are even worth
their experiences are even worth discussion I have met families who only
discussion I have met families who only
discussion I have met families who only take their child out of the home for
take their child out of the home for
take their child out of the home for periodic pediatrician appointments I
periodic pediatrician appointments I
periodic pediatrician appointments I have met two-year-olds who have never
have met two-year-olds who have never
have met two-year-olds who have never experienced rain and have never touched
experienced rain and have never touched
experienced rain and have never touched grass this has to change every
grass this has to change every
grass this has to change every experience no matter the monetary value
experience no matter the monetary value
experience no matter the monetary value of its impact is worth our recognition
of its impact is worth our recognition
of its impact is worth our recognition and I’ll tell you what it’s worth our
and I’ll tell you what it’s worth our
and I’ll tell you what it’s worth our language here is a picture of my son
language here is a picture of my son
language here is a picture of my son Milo we’re gonna leave this up for a
Milo we’re gonna leave this up for a
Milo we’re gonna leave this up for a little bit of extra time he was born in
little bit of extra time he was born in
little bit of extra time he was born in December of 2015 I am a mother a new
December of 2015 I am a mother a new
December of 2015 I am a mother a new mother with all of the supports
mother with all of the supports
mother with all of the supports necessary with an immediate access I had
necessary with an immediate access I had
necessary with an immediate access I had the experience and the knowledge and
the experience and the knowledge and
the experience and the knowledge and family within very close distance of
family within very close distance of
family within very close distance of where I live and even with these
where I live and even with these
where I live and even with these supports I felt incredibly alone and to
supports I felt incredibly alone and to
supports I felt incredibly alone and to question my ability to parent
question my ability to parent
question my ability to parent imagine how others without these four
imagine how others without these four
imagine how others without these four can’t fortunate circumstances feel in
can’t fortunate circumstances feel in
can’t fortunate circumstances feel in those first few months of parenting this
those first few months of parenting this
those first few months of parenting this is where Providence Talks comes in
is where Providence Talks comes in
is where Providence Talks comes in Providence talks recognizes parents as
Providence talks recognizes parents as
Providence talks recognizes parents as their child’s first and most important
their child’s first and most important
their child’s first and most important teacher through practice and research we
teacher through practice and research we
teacher through practice and research we understand the importance of enhancing
understand the importance of enhancing
understand the importance of enhancing engagement within a child’s life and
engagement within a child’s life and
engagement within a child’s life and within their home and the impact this
within their home and the impact this
within their home and the impact this will inevitably have on the child’s
will inevitably have on the child’s
will inevitably have on the child’s future for most families our program
future for most families our program
future for most families our program will be the first introduction they have
will be the first introduction they have
will be the first introduction they have into the education system as a mother
into the education system as a mother
into the education system as a mother and as a teacher I take this
and as a teacher I take this
and as a teacher I take this responsibility very seriously our
responsibility very seriously our
responsibility very seriously our children are the first and most
children are the first and most
children are the first and most important step to closing the sequence
important step to closing the sequence
important step to closing the sequence of gaps that trouble our nation we must
of gaps that trouble our nation we must
of gaps that trouble our nation we must prioritize our children and we must
prioritize our children and we must
prioritize our children and we must support our families in Providence Rhode
support our families in Providence Rhode
support our families in Providence Rhode Island we identified a problem over
Island we identified a problem over
Island we identified a problem over two-thirds of our children enter
two-thirds of our children enter
two-thirds of our children enter kindergarten behind on literacy state
kindergarten behind on literacy state
kindergarten behind on literacy state tests a key cause of disparity between
tests a key cause of disparity between
tests a key cause of disparity between low-income children and their higher
low-income children and their higher
low-income children and their higher income Paris is the language environment
income Paris is the language environment
income Paris is the language environment of the household they grow up in
of the household they grow up in
of the household they grow up in research shows that low-income children
research shows that low-income children
research shows that low-income children have heard thirty million fewer words
have heard thirty million fewer words
have heard thirty million fewer words than their higher income peers by the
than their higher income peers by the
than their higher income peers by the time they enter kindergarten researchers
time they enter kindergarten researchers
time they enter kindergarten researchers Hart and Risley term this disparity the
Hart and Risley term this disparity the
Hart and Risley term this disparity the word gap I call it deplorable through
word gap I call it deplorable through
word gap I call it deplorable through our innovative programming Providence
our innovative programming Providence
our innovative programming Providence talks aims to close that word gap and
talks aims to close that word gap and
talks aims to close that word gap and the resulting achievement gap to support
the resulting achievement gap to support
the resulting achievement gap to support families in developing a language
families in developing a language
families in developing a language environment of in their home to
environment of in their home to
environment of in their home to development to improve the development
development to improve the development
development to improve the development of their children Providence has defined
of their children Providence has defined
of their children Providence has defined the word gap as the first and most
the word gap as the first and most
the word gap as the first and most important gap in a series of gaps to
important gap in a series of gaps to
important gap in a series of gaps to damage the nation Providence Talks is
damage the nation Providence Talks is
damage the nation Providence Talks is the first program which aims to close
the first program which aims to close
the first program which aims to close the word gap at a citywide scale by
the word gap at a citywide scale by
the word gap at a citywide scale by coaching parents to use more words
coaching parents to use more words
coaching parents to use more words during the critical brain development
during the critical brain development
during the critical brain development years Providence aims to close the word
years Providence aims to close the word
years Providence aims to close the word gap one child at a time the goal is to
gap one child at a time the goal is to
gap one child at a time the goal is to increase engagement between parent and
increase engagement between parent and
increase engagement between parent and child the use of our curriculum trained
child the use of our curriculum trained
child the use of our curriculum trained home visitors introduced and model
home visitors introduced and model
home visitors introduced and model strategies to improve both the quantity
strategies to improve both the quantity
strategies to improve both the quantity in the quality of language interaction
in the quality of language interaction
in the quality of language interaction these strategies are exists are
these strategies are exists are
these strategies are exists are integrated into their existing daily
integrated into their existing daily
integrated into their existing daily activities cooking mealtime laundry the
activities cooking mealtime laundry the
activities cooking mealtime laundry the Providence tox intervention is targeted
Providence tox intervention is targeted
Providence tox intervention is targeted to influence parent behavior creating
to influence parent behavior creating
to influence parent behavior creating long-term benefits for children who then
long-term benefits for children who then
long-term benefits for children who then grow up in healthy language environments
grow up in healthy language environments
grow up in healthy language environments for teachers like myself this can feel
for teachers like myself this can feel
for teachers like myself this can feel counterintuitive to target the parent
researchers estimate that a child should
researchers estimate that a child should hear between nineteen thousand and
hear between nineteen thousand and
hear between nineteen thousand and twenty one thousand words in a day to
twenty one thousand words in a day to
twenty one thousand words in a day to monitor progress towards this benchmark
monitor progress towards this benchmark
monitor progress towards this benchmark and their personal goals each
and their personal goals each
and their personal goals each participating family is given a small
participating family is given a small
participating family is given a small wearable recording device which counts
wearable recording device which counts
wearable recording device which counts the number of words the child hears and
the number of words the child hears and
the number of words the child hears and the number of parent-child
the number of parent-child
the number of parent-child conversational turns taking place in the
conversational turns taking place in the
conversational turns taking place in the home these devices record all of what a
home these devices record all of what a
home these devices record all of what a child hears in the course of a day and
child hears in the course of a day and
child hears in the course of a day and software analyzes the recording and
software analyzes the recording and
software analyzes the recording and counts the number of words number of
counts the number of words number of
counts the number of words number of parent-child interactions and the amount
parent-child interactions and the amount
parent-child interactions and the amount of television the child is exposed to
of television the child is exposed to
of television the child is exposed to the recording which is never listened to
the recording which is never listened to
the recording which is never listened to is then immediately deleted and the and
is then immediately deleted and the and
is then immediately deleted and the and the results are this easy to read
the results are this easy to read
the results are this easy to read feedback report it shows parents their
feedback report it shows parents their
feedback report it shows parents their progress this technology was developed
progress this technology was developed
progress this technology was developed by our partners in Colorado the Lena
by our partners in Colorado the Lena
by our partners in Colorado the Lena Research Foundation the coaching
Research Foundation the coaching
Research Foundation the coaching services are delivered through three
services are delivered through three
services are delivered through three different models each of which follow
different models each of which follow
different models each of which follow curriculum specifically designed for the
curriculum specifically designed for the
curriculum specifically designed for the program we offer home visiting we offer
program we offer home visiting we offer
program we offer home visiting we offer parent and child play groups and a
parent and child play groups and a
parent and child play groups and a professional development series for
professional development series for
professional development series for early childhood professionals we have
early childhood professionals we have
early childhood professionals we have some very early results but they’re
some very early results but they’re
some very early results but they’re promising over a thousand children have
promising over a thousand children have
promising over a thousand children have enrolled in Providence talks over 160
enrolled in Providence talks over 160
enrolled in Providence talks over 160 children have graduated from our
children have graduated from our
children have graduated from our programming 32 trained professionals are
programming 32 trained professionals are
programming 32 trained professionals are delivering high quality service to
delivering high quality service to
delivering high quality service to increase engagement and talk for
increase engagement and talk for
increase engagement and talk for families and Providence over 4700
families and Providence over 4700
families and Providence over 4700 children books have distribute been
children books have distribute been
children books have distribute been distributed to families and two-thirds
distributed to families and two-thirds
distributed to families and two-thirds of our families make progress in the in
of our families make progress in the in
of our families make progress in the in the program as demonstrated by increased
the program as demonstrated by increased
the program as demonstrated by increased language use within the home the word
language use within the home the word
language use within the home the word gap is the first gap in a series of gaps
gap is the first gap in a series of gaps
gap is the first gap in a series of gaps and this disparity affects not only our
and this disparity affects not only our
and this disparity affects not only our children it affects our community and
children it affects our community and
children it affects our community and our country these are our children their
our country these are our children their
our country these are our children their futures directly influence the growth
futures directly influence the growth
futures directly influence the growth and
and
and success of our nation we must invest in
success of our nation we must invest in
success of our nation we must invest in our young people from day one our
our young people from day one our
our young people from day one our investment in their learning benefits us
investment in their learning benefits us
investment in their learning benefits us not only as individuals we benefit as a
not only as individuals we benefit as a
not only as individuals we benefit as a community and as a country because of
community and as a country because of
community and as a country because of the develop of the contribution they’re
the develop of the contribution they’re
the develop of the contribution they’re developed intellect and abilities
developed intellect and abilities
developed intellect and abilities provide we are not able to realize our
provide we are not able to realize our
provide we are not able to realize our potential as a nation until we
potential as a nation until we
potential as a nation until we prioritize the development of our
prioritize the development of our
prioritize the development of our children there is an inherent injustice
children there is an inherent injustice
children there is an inherent injustice in denying all children the same
in denying all children the same
in denying all children the same opportunity to succeed the same
opportunity to succeed the same
opportunity to succeed the same opportunity I have been able to provide
opportunity I have been able to provide
opportunity I have been able to provide for my son Milo I believe in every
for my son Milo I believe in every
for my son Milo I believe in every child’s ability to thrive I believe in
child’s ability to thrive I believe in
child’s ability to thrive I believe in their ability to succeed
their ability to succeed
their ability to succeed please join Providence and my son Milo
please join Providence and my son Milo
please join Providence and my son Milo as we join Providence in this fight to
as we join Providence in this fight to
as we join Providence in this fight to close the 30 million word gap
”
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