LENA Q & A

LENA stands for Language ENvironment Analysis. The LENA System is the only technology that allows parents to easily and accurately measure the quality and quantity of their child’s language environment during the child’s first four years of life. Research has found these years to be the most vital for a child’s future development.

LENA is a revolutionary parenting tool that: provides parents with real data about their child’s language environment, including Adult Word Count, Conversational Turns, Developmental Growth and percentile comparisons.

Research shows the highest achieving children have heard 25 million words from birth to age four, versus lower achieving children, who heard only 9.5 million words from ages zero to four. A child that starts school with a large vocabulary has an advantage over children with a smaller vocabulary.

The LENA System has three easy-to-follow steps, so you can be sure your child experiences optimal word count.

1. Slip the LENA DLP into your child’s comfortable, stylish LENA Clothing — and forget about it.
2. At the end of the day, plug the LENA DLP into your PC. The sophisticated language environment analysis software processes the DLP data to determine the number of words and conversational turns.
3. View your reports showing the number of conversational turns, words spoken throughout the day and percentile ranks.

The LENA System is for parents, and caregivers, who would like to offer their child a chance to excel in vocabulary growth, vocabulary use and intelligence, securing a place for them in the future as a confident and advanced learner.

Research shows that parents generally overestimate how much they talk to their children.

By using the LENA System, you know exactly how much language experience your child is receiving. LENA provides peace of mind that your child is developing at an optimal level.

Think of it this way: The LENA feedback reports are similar to dieters who use a food journal. The perception of how much you eat (or talk) is often times very different from reality.

The Hart and Risley study showed that parent talkativeness is more strongly predictive of IQ than other factors such as socio-economic status or race.

Experience LENA for 30 days! We’re sure you’ll find LENA to be a breakthrough parenting tool. If you are unsatisfied with the system, LENA offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

The demands of parenting can be overwhelming. Research shows that the youngest child does not receive as much one-on-one time during their first four years as a first born does. The LENA System helps you guarantee that your youngest is getting the attention he or she needs to thrive in today’s educational environment.

At LENA we believe that every word spoken to a child counts starting at birth. Apart from humans, elephants are one of the only species who gather to greet a newborn. They communicate with low frequency vocalizations that travel over long distances, and they can recognize the individual voices of hundreds of other elephants. Family members in particular have an extensive vocal repertoire and an unusually large communication network.

We recommend using LENA for two to three days in the first two weeks to become comfortable with the System. This initial use will also help you establish a “baseline” of your normal language environment.
Once you’ve established your baseline, you can then use LENA two to three times a month or as often as you choose to track your progress.

*Using the DLP a minimum of 10 hours in a day is needed to have sufficient data to estimate percentile scores for adult words and conversational turns.

Your DLP is NOT waterproof. Your LENA DLP must be removed during any type of water play. Place the DLP out of “splash” range, but close enough to still pick up your adult words.

The placement of the DLP in the child’s chest pocket is essential for identifying conversational turns. If the DLP is placed elsewhere, the software cannot accurately distinguish your child from other children.

When in a vehicle, remove the DLP from the pocket of your child’s LENA Clothing and set it close to your child and continue recording.

The purpose of LENA is to provide feedback so that you can incorporate more talk into your daily routine. Using LENA two to three times a month is sufficient to accomplish this. So it isn’t necessary to use LENA on a vacation. Just be sure to continue talking and reading.

Use LENA on days that you consider representative of your normal daily routine. The purpose of LENA is to provide you with an accurate representation of your everyday language environment.

Yes, LENA does pick up singing as words. However, singing with the radio or with other adults becomes too “noisy” and confusing for the software and will be disregarded as overlapping speech or noise.

Yes, LENA does distinguish between child voices and adult voices.
The software identifies “key child” and “other children” based on the DLP being in the pocket of the clothing, directly below the “key child’s” voice.

Yes, the software can distinguish between the two children based on pitch or distance. Because the DLP is kept in the chest pocket of the child’s clothing, his or her voice has different acoustic properties than a child further from the DLP.

No. The software cannot give accurate data unless the DLP is in the pocket of the specially designed LENA Clothing. Identification of your child’s voice is based on specific acoustic properties generated at that distance between your child’s mouth and the DLP pocket.

Further, the LENA pocket material has been tested to ensure good acoustic quality to the microphone.

The LENA software can accommodate multiple children; however you must purchase an additional DLP for each additional child in order to keep the data separate. You may purchase additional DLP’s at the LENA Shop.

LENA compiles adult words into one report. Male and female voices are not reported separately.

If you are interacting with your child, you are most likely facing them and standing within “eye contact” distance. These factors, in addition to speaking loudly if you normally have a soft voice, are important to obtain maximal results with your DLP.

The reports are based on adult words that are considered meaningful to your child. Words spoken while maintaining eye contact, with in six foot radius or words spoken very loudly will be registered by the DLP.

Typically, words spoken from across the room, at a distance greater than 10 feet, will not register.

The goal is to only count words that are truly meaningful to your child and impact language development, not words spoken at a distance or words spoken to other adults.

It is quite normal for word counts to initially be lower than expected. Research show most parents overestimate the amount of words they speak to their children. Steps we suggest:

1. Review your reports- what activities were happening during low Adult Word Counts? Was the environment noisy? TV, radio and overlapping speech create noisy environments. Turn off the TV and radio for the best language environment.
2. Read – Reading to your child is one of the best ways to increase Adult Word Count and Conversational Turns. Makes notes on your reading times and compare them to your hourly counts.
3. Keep a log of all your activities throughout the day. Compare your children’s reports to help determine which activities contribute the most to your child’s language environment. Download the

   LENA Activity Log

   .

If you have specific developmental concerns about your child, we recommend that you talk with your pediatrician or Speech Language Pathologist.

The LENA System counts the number of words the child hears. If you sign to your child, then the LENA System cannot count the number of signs the child sees.

Yes, monitoring your child’s language environment and development is especially critical if you suspect speech delays or disorders. Plus, the reports are a terrific tool to show your pediatrician and Speech Language Pathologist.
If you have specific developmental concerns about your child, we recommend that you talk with your pediatrician or Speech Language Pathologist.

Absolutely! All children benefit from a rich language environment. It is especially important for foreign and adopted children to immediately become immersed in a rich language environment and to monitor his/her development.

Absolutely! Monitoring language environment and development is especially important with any child who may be at increased risk for developmental delay.

Using LENA will provide parents with critical information about their child’s language environment and development.

We don’t want your child to be uncomfortable. Please visit our Resources section at www.lenababy.com and implement talking and reading tips now. Start using LENA once your child is a little bigger and you feel comfortable with the DLP.

Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children is a book that chronicles the study conducted by Drs. Betty Hart and Todd Risley. They discovered that the more parents talk to their child from birth to age three, the better the child’s future academic performance and the higher the child’s IQ.

Dr. Betty Hart, Ph.D. and Dr. Todd Risley, Ph.D. are co-authors of two groundbreaking books about talk between parents and children: Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children and The Social World of Children Learning to Talk. This research revealed the critical importance of providing a rich language environment during children’s early years of life.

The Power of Talk is a summary of patterns of adult-child talk by analyzing numbers of hours of spontaneous speech recorder in a family’s home. Infoture, Inc. examined this data to discover if any pattern existed. What we found was:

• Parents of advanced children – children who scored consistently between the 90th and 99th percentiles on independent standardized language assessments – spoke substantially more to those children than parents of children who were not as advanced, confirming the Hart and Risley study.
• Parents estimated that they talked more with their children than they actually did.
• Most language training for children came from mothers, with mothers accounting for 78 percent of total talk.
• Mothers talked more to daughters than mothers talked to sons.
• Parents talked more to first-born children than to children who followed in the birth order.
• Most adult talk between parent and child occurred in the late afternoon and early evening compared to other times of day.
• Children of talkative parents were also talkative.
• While the average number of daily spoken words for parents who graduated from college was higher than for all other parents, the average number of daily spoken words for the upper 50 percent of parents who did not complete high school was significantly higher than that of the lower 50 percent of parents who graduated from college.

A free PDF copy of The Power of Talk is available on our website.

Operating System: Windows Vista, or Windows XP SP2
Processor: Desktop 2.2 GHz, Laptop 1.3 GHz
Memory: 512 Megabytes
Available Disk Space: 10 Gigabytes
Video Card: High Color (32-bit)
Screen Resolution: 1024 x 768
Flash player: Version 8.0.24 or higher

Yes.

Unfortunately, at this time, the LENA software is not compatible with any operating system but Windows Vista and Windows XP with service pack 2. If you have already purchased your LENA System and need to return it, please contact Customer Service.

Please contact Customer Service.

To edit your child’s name, age and/or gender, please follow these easy steps:

1. Open your LENA software and go to the “Settings” on the upper right hand corner.
2. In the “Child Information” box, click your child’s name, and then click “Edit.”
3. Change any information you wish, and then click “OK.”

No, not currently.

Unfortunately, the LENA software cannot be used on public computers. In addition to licensing restrictions on the LENA software, which restricts use to personal home computers, the data-processing time requires up to 16 hours, which could tie up your library’s computing resources. There are also restrictions requiring administrations right to install the software.

No. Because of audio encoding, you currently cannot listen to your recordings.

Please contact Technical Support.

Yes. However, not all PC/USB connections will charge the LENA properly. We recommend removing the DLP from your computer and charging it with the wall charger, which is provided with the LENA System purchase.

To install Flash, go to http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/ and follow the directions.

Please contact Technical Support.

To reassign your DLP, please follow these steps:

1. Open your LENA software and go to the “Settings” on the upper right hand corner.
2. In the “Child Information” box, click your child’s name, and then click the “Edit.”
3. Change any information you wish, and then click “OK.”

For increased Adult Word Counts, try narrating your daily activities. Describe what you’re doing as you cook, changing a diaper or taking a stroll around the block.

For more talking tips, visit the Resources Section of the website.

We suggest limiting your TV and radio time to a bare minimum, for several reasons. First, the TV and radio is not counted towards your Adult Word Count because research has shown that children do not learn words from television.
Secondly, this background noise adds to the sheer amount of data that needs to be analyzed – increasing the processing time.

The software is calibrated to count only the words spoken within a 6-foot radius of your child. A good rule of thumb to follow: at what distance can you maintain good eye contact and talk to you child?

We suggest testing your DLP before attempting a full day of recording. To do so, please follow these steps:

1. Charge your DLP.
2. If you haven’t already launched the LENA software,
   click the “Start” button on your computer and select LENA from your
   program options
3. Once the LENA software opens, you will be asked to verify that your DLP is working properly.
   1. Select “Settings” located at the top right-hand corner of your screen.
   2. Next, select “Test Digital Language Processor” located at the bottom of the Settings page.
   3. Disconnect your DLP from the Wall Charger or computer and turn it on by pressing and holding the POWER on/off button for 3 seconds.
   4. Press and hold the ‘REC’ button for 3 seconds to begin recording. To test that your voice is properly recording, speak into your DLP for approximately 10 seconds.
   5. With your DLP still running, connect your DLP to your computer using the USB cable.
   6. The LENA software will transfer the audio data and play it back so you can verify your DLP is working properly. This may take a few moments.
   7. If your audio plays, please select “OK.” If your audio does not play, check that your speakers are turned on and that the volume is at a proper audio level. Then, press the “Replay” button. If you still do not hear your audio, please contact Technical Support.

We have tested and are in compliance with the following U.S. Government Standards: Standard for Safety in Electronic Toys (UL696), Standard for Safety for Audio, Video and Similar Electronic Apparatus (UL60065) and FCC Standards, Class B.

The toy elephant is a GUND Brand Toy that has been tested and approved for children of all ages.

The DLP has been successfully developed and tested with the help of 514 babies and toddler over the course of three years. In addition, we are in compliance with all U.S. Government Standards.

Our clothing is not designed for sleepwear. You should take the same precautions with LENA Clothing as you do with all of your child’s clothing.

The LENA System is available for purchase from the website, www.lenababy.com, as well as through our offices located in Boulder, CO.

Please contact Customer Service to order over the phone. We currently accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. We currently ship to domestic addresses only.

The complete LENA System, including your LENA DLP, two USB cables, a wall charger, the LENA software, two pieces of LENA Clothing and a toy elephant, is available from our online store.

Please visit our LENA Shop to view the entire line of LENA Clothing and additional products for purchase.

Yes. The number is included in the shipping confirmation email. You may also contact Customer Service for your order status.

Please contact Customer Service. Please include your Order Number in the email.

Please contact Customer Service. Please include your Order Number in the email.

• We offer a 30-day money back guarantee on the LENA System.
• The LENA System can be returned for a full refund, however separate pieces (such as a wall charger or USB cable) cannot be returned separately when the entire LENA System was purchased together.
• Customer must request a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) Number from customer service for all LENA System or individual for DLP returns and exchanges
• Clothing may be exchanged up to 30 days from original purchase date of your LENA System.
• There will be a $5.00 shipping cost deducted from your refund.
• However, all items included in the LENA System may be exchanged only if the entire System is not returned for refund.

Return/Exchange Policy for LENA Clothing purchased individually

• May be returned OR exchanged for any reason for up to 30 days from original purchase date.
• You will receive a full refund less a $5.00 shipping fee for all clothing returned within 30 days.
• You will be charged the difference in price for any clothing exchanged for a higher priced garment.
• All clothing will be shipped with a return-shipping label and clothing return polybag for customer convenience.
• For further instructions on how to return your LENA items, please contact

  Customer Service

  .

Every one to two months should be adequate to follow your baby’s progress.

We suggest taking the snapshot every two months if your child is 0 to 12 months, and once a month if your child is 12 to 48 months.

The LENA System analyzes a child’s language environment and development, providing an estimate of the number of adult words that you speak to your child, as well as the number of conversational turns that occur. Percentile rankings compare your results to normative data representative of the U.S. population, to college educated parents and other LENA users.

Your child’s language developmental is tracked monitored with the Development Snapshot. The Developmental Snapshot provides parents with an estimate of their child’s developmental age compared to the child’s chronological age. The LENA System helps parents ensure their children experience a rich language environment to maximize their intellectual and social growth.

Your LENA Reports can be viewed on an hourly basis, allowing you to quickly identify and target any low-talk times of the day. The Resources section of our LENA software provides talking tips you can share with anyone who cares for your child.

30-Day money back guarantee

The LENA System is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your LENA System, you may return it within 30 days from the original purchase date for a full refund, no questions asked.

Contact Customer Service to receive your Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Returns will not be accepted without an RMA number.

Contact Customer Service for instructions on returning your LENA System.

The LENA DLP (including the battery) is warranted against manufacturer defects for one year from the original purchase date. Assuming the DLP has been used as intended and has not been tampered with, we will repair or replace it free of charge.

Contact Customer Service to receive your Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Returns will not be accepted without an RMA number.

• Defective DLP’s must be returned for warranty to be valid.
• Warranty applies only to the original owner.
• Infoture reserves the right to replace the Digital Language Processor or other components with refurbished parts at its discretion.

LENA System purchasers will receive free software updates (for the software version purchased) for three years from the original purchase date.

LENA’s team of specially trained professionals will assist you. Please contact Technical Support .