April 11, 2014
A1995 study by child psychologists Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley found that, by age 4, children in poverty heard 30 million fewer words than their counterparts in more advantaged families. Children who heard fewer words were not school-ready and continued to lag academically throughout their school years when compared to their more affluent peers. This disparity in learning is referred to as the achievement gap.
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U of C Part of Multi-million dollar Language Development Initiative
Low income parents can increase their children’s chances of success simply by engaging them in thoughtful and interactive conversation on a regular basis, according to a 1995 study conducted by child psychologists Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley that found by age 4, children in poverty heard 30 million fewer words than their counterparts in more advantaged families.