30,000 Words a Day

[melodym37]

Ok, I read that your child should be hearing at least 30,000 words a day which is around 3000 words a hour in a 10 hour day (awake time)
It is suppose to be really important from birth to 3 years old and is more powerful than flashcards, computer programs, TV and DVD's

I tried to count how many words I said to my little one today in one hour and I think I was close to around 1000... I an really going to have to step it up!!!   
There is a Device sold by LENA that helps keep track of words and it has some really good research on the power of words... (determines your child IQ at 3 years old)
The device is around $700.00, so I can say we wont be getting it any time soon but thought it was neat.

Any thoughts on the 30,000 words a day theory? 

Has anyone else heard this? Are you doing this?

[MummyRoo]

Never heard of this. But I will say that when my son's father visited and spoke only Russian, his understanding and ability to learn/retain vocabulary went mental and in 24hours he was learning as much (if not MORE) than his English. I speak Russian maybe 1hr/day and we do flashcards and dvds on top, but simple constant exposure made a HUGE impact. It makes me feel bad that I can't remember to speak Russian all day - it is hard speaking a non-native language constantly and with no conversation to speak of 

[melodym37]

Here is part of the article:

Young Children Thrive on 30,000 Words a Day
New Study Released to Colorado Pediatricians Today

For children between birth and age 3, the most powerful number is 30,000 - the number of words they need to hear every day from their parents and caregivers, to ensure optimal language development and academic success, according to the Power of Talk research study, released today to health care professionals statewide.

Infoture, a Boulder-based company, is receiving international recognition for its Power of Talk study, which expands on the well-known benchmark study by Dr. Todd Risley, Ph.D., and confirms that young children who hear at least 30,000 words a day will thrive regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. That's the same number heard in 18 and a half readings of Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat."

"When parents share their children's output of words with me, I remind them that it's actually the input that matters. The parents' and caregivers' words are what really count," said Steven Perry, M.D., pediatrician with Cherry Creek Pediatrics in Denver. "It's not educational toys, TV or videos that make your child smart and well-adjusted; it's talk. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children 2 years and under not watch any TV or videos, but spend quality time with caregivers instead."

[Maquenzie]

If your child is awake for 10 hours, that is 50 words per minute. You'd have to be talking nonstop everyday, all day.

[melodym37]

Yeah I know seems like ALOT.... Wait it is ALOT!!
There is a you tube video about it and the mother on there says she just narrates everything
She says she explains everything like when she brushes her teeth she talks about toothpaste, toothbrush etc. etc.
In the car she talks about everything she see's.

I am trying it and think I have actually been able to do it but only when I read a book and talk about every single sentence I read 
Even if I dont accomplish 3000 an hour I am at least going to try and step it up and talk alot more
Wish I could get the LENA device, it sounded so neat on there site

[baz]

* Because of differences in measurement technique, 30,000 words in the Hart and Risley study is equivalent to about 21,000 words in the LENA Adult Words report. Hart and Risley recorded one hour at a peak talking time and extrapolated this number of words to a 14-hour day. LENA percentiles and word counts are based on 12 consecutive hours of recording during an actual day, with no extrapolation.


So the actual number is 21000 words for 12 hours. Which equals 29 words per minute (or ~ 1 word every 2 seconds), which is more realistic.

[melodym37]

I don't think the 30,000 words the Hart an Risely study suggest is unrealistic.... I think I can do it,
An at least I know if I fall short I still will have it covered with the 21,700? Words a day the LENA study
Came up with.
Guess it all depends on how many hours a day you want to count as alert, awake hours for your child...
10, 12, or 14?
Either way I'm sticking with the Hart an Risely study.
I can do it, I can do it, I can do it ... Babbling away

[baz]

  you can do it!!

[sonya_post]

I am wondering if the children in these studies spent any time playing by themselves. Time developing an imagination and exploring the world without having it all narrated to them. Not that I don't think we need to talk to our children, but my 16 month old is up approximately 11 hours a day. That is 45 words every minute of every waking hour. I am wondering if the child ever eats or has siblings that need tending to or if bathrooms ever get cleaned.

I buy into the whole early education. My child can read about 80 words at 16 months. His vocabulary is huge. We started Jones Genius Matrix Math with him and he loves it. I love it. It is so much easier to teach a willing and begging toddler than a willful and annoyed 6 year old. I am just wondering at what point it goes over the top. How far do you push yourself as a parent to give your child the edge? What is this edge for? What is the end goal? Obviously, that will be different for each person.

I can't imagine filling up my day with 10 hours of non-stop chatter. It would make me bleed from the gums. Children need to play and discover the world on their own. Three years of hovering over a child narrating to him seems very unrealistic.  If you go to their site, you will notice that it is better that the child is engaged in a conversation. The words need to be a 2 way street.  Well, waiting for a 2 year old to respond and have a conversation is going to seriously cut into your ability to get the 30,000 words in.

I am a skeptic. However, engaging your young child in coversation as much as he/she will tolerate, that I will agree with.

[lzp11]

I can't help also feeling a bit sceptical about the benefits of non-stop chatter, which sounds a bit one-way (but maybe I'm misinterpreting this?).  By that definition you could just stick on a TV and let it talk in the background!!

I am completely in agreement with the need to communicate and talk a huge amount to babies and children in general, using a wide vocabulary and range of words if possible, and this is a timely reminder for me that I should remember to keep conversation going throughout the day.  But I also think it's important for this to be a two-way process, giving plenty of time and space for the child to contribute to the discussion and encouraging their voice and ideas, even with very young children (hence the benefits of baby sign). 

And I definitely agree with the importance of developing imagination using free play in children.  I find that for my daughter I need to give her some space and follow her lead to let her create her own thoughts and ideas in imaginary games etc.  I worry that I'm too structured as it is, using LR and other teaching tools.

[Frukc]

Well, my parents did not talk much but I am rather intelligent. So in my surrounding. I know a person which is the most chatty person I know. She is talking all the time. Her son started to talk at three and he is also a slow learner.

[Latreia]

Well, I am a working freelance mom & my 13m/o bb's dad is full time at home with her.
Right from birth, I reminded papa to keep talking to bb all the time, no matter what he was
doing; to say he is making milk, we are going to bath, play or sleep.
I do think it helps as bb started to babble mama/papa at 7 months & at 8/9 months
she can say bag, bus, pants etc.
Keep on talking to bb even now, but as of few months back, I notice she has her own thoughts,
so I give him time to express herself, give feedback. But honestly, I never keep track on how much
we talked, just keep going

[melodym37]

This is from the LENA web page:

How much talk and conversation is needed to ensure your baby’s optimal growth? 30 million words.

Researchers Betty Hart, Ph.D., and Todd R. Risley, Ph.D., conducted nearly 10 years of research to learn why some children perform better than others in school; they published their findings in the book Meaningful Differences. According to the book, the answer is words. The quantity of talk and interactions that parents had with their child, explained Hart and Risley, predicted a child’s IQ and vocabulary size more so than any other variable, including parents’ education or socioeconomic status.

After the first four years, however, it is virtually impossible to close the gap between children whose parents have provided this advantage and children of parents who have not.
..............................
So I guess what I am saying is Im not waiting till he is 4 years old then regret not talking as much and try to catch up later... They said that's impossible
So for now I will keep babbling away.  An honestly for the pass two days  I have been doing this he seems to like the "Extra, Extra" attention

[Mandabplus3]

I have seen the difference between chatty parents and parents who rarely talk and I am all for the talkers! Children do need to hear ALOT of words but perhaps not constantly. I watched my son playing in a wheelbarrow full of water today. If I had been talking I would have missed his beautiful singing and his narration of his game. Priceless? Beyond priceless. I rarely hang the washing smiling but today I did 

[melodym37]

Thanks for sharing that Manda... I am glad to hear you are for "talkers" an I totally get what you are saying about sometimes being quiet... I have been doing this for a couple days now an I am definitely finding a "happy medium". There has been times when he appears to be playing very intently with his toys like they are totally amazing an I will let him be to explore an play. Other times he is just kinda sitting there with nothing to actually do, so I will read a book an start the process of narrating our day an things around him.
 
Yesterday my Daughter was playing with him an she spent approximately 20 minutes of silence with him.... She sat him next to her on the couch while she was engrossed in TV an just kept handing him a rattle when he would whine... This is what I am trying to prevent from happening to me. Poor thing just wanted some eye contact an a lil attention. I finally went an took him from her an he was just so happy to hear me talking he just started babbling, blowing spit bubbles an laughing, it was so cute. He just eats up the attention. I hope I am not spoiling him (I will google spoiliing kids later ) I don't want it to back fire on me some kind of way

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