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	www.lenababy.com LENA NEWS: Every word counts Issue 1, Oct. 2007
	Life with LENA Sadie is ready and raring to go! At first the thought of saying 30,000 words in one day seemed impossible, but with using LENA I found out that it’s really easy. I was surprised that we didn’t talk as much as we thought we did. Using LENA has changed my behavior a lot, now I just babble a lot more about things I never would have thought about. I put Sadie in her high chair when I cook supper and I just tell her everything I am doing: I say we are cooking supper for daddy now and this is what we’re making and this is how we do it. If I go shopping or run an errand, she gets the benefit because we are talking about whatever we are doing. LENA gives me the guidance I need to know I am talking enough to give Sadie the right amount of words every day. - Glenna Brazzell, mother of Sadie, 6 months Mattoon, IL Who says Abi’s too young for American Idol! I am pleasantly surprised with LENA because I knew I wanted Abi to have a high IQ and large vocabulary. Now I can concentrate on the number of words I say to her every day. Another pleasant surprise was knowing how much she talks back to me. Since LENA measures the conversational turns I can see that in the LENA reports. LENA has made me more mindful of both my talking and her talking back to me. I am a stay at home mom and LENA lets me know I am contributing to Abi’s development. - Michelle Johnson, mother of Abigail, 8 months Monsey, NY Share your story and be featured in LENA News! Click here. In the news... The latest news in child development research Baby Einstein: not so brainy, Read more If you want baby talk, talk to baby, Read more Turn off the tube to teach your child new words, Read more Did you know? Research shows, most parents talk most with their children in the evening. How can you track your child’s language environment? With LENA, of course! Learn more here.		Ask the Expert Jill Gilkerson, Ph.D. is the author of The Power of Talk, a research study examining the relationship between parent talk and child language development. She received her Ph.D. in Linguistics from UCLA. Q: I consider myself to be a very talkative mother, but I continually score poorly in Conversational Turns. I don’t see how I can engage in conversation with my child if they can’t talk yet. What exactly are Conversational Turns and how do I increase them? A: A Conversational Turn (CT) occurs when a child vocalizes (initiates) and an adult responds, and vice versa. Each time an exchange occurs, one turn is counted. Babies can communicate before they even start talking. Sometimes parents feel awkward talking to a baby who doesn’t understand and cannot talk back. But, babies need to hear words repeated in many contexts in order to understand language. Follow these tips to increase your CTs and help ensure that your your child is receiving an optimal language environment: Talk and sing to your baby while you’re engaged in daily duties, such as cleaning or shopping. Gossip, chit-chat and think out-loud. It is important to react to pre-verbal sounds like coos or squeals. If your child coos, encourage this by reacting and talking back to him/her. Using picture books that have simple words and colorful pictures, talk about what you see and give your baby a chance to respond. Submit a question for our experts: Click here. Fast Answers: Tips and Tricks When reading the newspaper, read it aloud with your child to increase word count. By reciting nursery rhymes and songs, you’re creating a fun and interactive environment for your child. Narrate daily activities such as cooking and cleaning.

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