Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain

Cochlear implants must be received within the first three years of life, during a crucial brain development window, in order for children born deaf to learn language quickly and to blend with their hearing peers in academic achievement. Suskind (M.D., Univ. of Chicago) discovered that even when children born deaf received the implants within that timeframe, those who heard more spoken words adopted language quickly while others floundered. This gap had a strong correlation to socioeconomic status: in a study done by University of Kansas researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley, three year olds in wealthier families had heard thirty million more words than those from poorer families. Suskind founded the Thirty Million Words Initiative to help close this gap. Suskind's book discusses the initiative and its use of the 3Ts, "Tune in," "Talk more," and "Take turns," to educate parents. Simply talking to children more sets the stage for literacy, self-regulation, and academic success later in life. With awareness about the crucial period of language development, all families can provide a rich language environment simply through narrating bathtime and other everyday activities.