On this edition of ST on Health, an interesting discussion with Dr. Dana Suskind, a Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago who's also the Director of that school's Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program. She's probably best known as the founder and director of the Thirty Million Words Initiative. Firmly grounded in "talking is teaching" research that shows how critically important it is to expose developing children to language, this initiative has helped countless parents, teachers, social workers and others who endeavor to strengthen kids' ability to learn. An evidence-based intervention, Thirty Million Words is supported by many public and private partnerships; it's a program that aims help all children reach their full potential while also closing the ever-widening "achievement gap." Now comes a new book, just out from Penguin Random House, in which Dr. Suskind explains what this program is and how it works: "Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain." Moreover, and most importanly, the book shows parents how to use this program in their own families. As was noted of the book by Kirkus Reviews: "Suskind's vision is empowering, her methods are surprisingly simple to execute, and the results have been proven to nurture children toward becoming stable, empathetic adults.... [She offers] informative, exciting new data that confirms the significant benefits gained by talking to your child."
Why Talking Is Teaching -- Dr. Dana Suskind Offers "Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain"
