Improving early child development with words: Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald at TEDxAtlanta

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the critical role of early language development in shaping a child's future health, wealth, and educational success. Drawing on research, the presentation highlights that by age three, children from professional families hear 30 million more words than those in poverty, which significantly affects their brain development and long-term learning outcomes. Programs like 'Talk with Me Baby' aim to teach parents, especially those in underserved communities, the importance of language nutrition, stressing that early, meaningful interactions between caretakers and children are essential for cognitive growth and future success.

Takeaways

• 💬 Language is a profound predictor of health and wealth, with its roots established by the age of three.
• 🧠 Human beings possess an innate capacity for language, distinguishing us from animals with our ability to learn and use complex languages.
• 📚 The Oxford Unabridged English Dictionary contains 600,000 words, highlighting the vastness of human language capabilities.
• 👶 Babies are biologically programmed to learn language, with a significant brain growth spurt occurring late in pregnancy.
• 🤱 The interaction between caretakers and babies is crucial for language development, as seen in the 'Still Face Experiment' from the Harvard Child Development Center.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Professional families tend to speak 30 million more words to their children by age three compared to families in poverty, impacting brain development.
• 🌟 Early language exposure is more important than socioeconomic status in determining a child's language development and future success.
• 📈 The number of words a child hears by age three significantly correlates with their vocabulary and academic performance later in life.
• 🏢 The 'Talk with me baby' public-private partnership in Georgia aims to address the language gap by educating parents on the importance of early language exposure.
• 🌱 Language nutrition is essential for brain development, laying the foundation for literacy, education, and ultimately, a child's success in society.

Q & A

What is identified as a profound predictor of health and wealth by the age of three?

Language is identified as a profound predictor of health and wealth by the age of three.

How many different words are there in the Oxford Unabridged English Dictionary?

There are 600,000 different words in the Oxford Unabridged English Dictionary.

What does the speaker suggest is the essence of what it means to be human?

The speaker suggests that language is the essence of what it means to be human.

What is the 'Still Face Experiment' mentioned in the script?

The 'Still Face Experiment' is an experiment from the Harvard Child Development Center that demonstrates the importance of interaction between caretaker and baby by showing how a baby reacts when the mother has a still face and does not respond to the baby's attempts to engage.

What was the long-term effect of early language exposure studied by Hart and Risley?

The long-term effect of early language exposure studied by Hart and Risley showed that there were 30 million more words spoken to children from professional families compared to those in poverty, which significantly impacted their language development and future academic success.

How many words per hour do parents in professional families speak to their children according to the study?

Parents in professional families speak over 2000 words an hour to their children.

What is the term used to describe the process where unused neurons in the brain shrink and die?

The term used to describe the process where unused neurons in the brain shrink and die is 'pruning'.

Why is the ability to read by third grade considered crucial in the script?

The ability to read by third grade is considered crucial because after third grade, students are expected to read to learn. If they cannot read on level by third grade, they may struggle to keep up with their studies and may never catch up.

What is the 'Talk with me baby' partnership mentioned in the script?

The 'Talk with me baby' partnership is a public-private initiative aimed at addressing the issue of language development in early childhood, involving various organizations such as United Way, The Anne E. Casey Foundation, Public Health, and the Department of Early Child Care and Learning.

What is the significance of the WIC program in the context of the script?

The WIC (Women, Infant, and Child Nutrition Program) is significant because it provides a platform for healthcare providers to educate mothers on the importance of language nutrition and to distribute resources, such as books, to encourage early language development.

What is the speaker's final message to the audience regarding language and babies?

The speaker's final message is to emphasize the importance of talking with babies as a means to improve their language development, which is crucial for their future health, wealth, and success.