Thirty Million Words

Outline

Thirty Million Words (2015) shows that the words children hear in their earliest years shape how their brains develop. Dana Suskind explains research suggesting that children from different homes hear very different amounts of language by age four, and how this affects learning later in life. She offers a simple approach for parents: tune in, talk more, and take turns in conversation with young children.

• The words children hear in their earliest years help shape how their brains develop.
• Research suggests children from different homes hear very different amounts of language by the age of four.
• That early difference in language exposure can affect how well children learn later in life.
• Parents can start with a simple approach: tune in to the child, talk more, and take turns.
• Everyday conversation with young children builds language and also deepens the connection between parent and child.

Dana Suskind is an American paediatric surgeon and professor at the University of Chicago who specialises in cochlear implants for children with hearing loss. Her work with patients led her to study how early language shapes brain development, and she founded a research centre focused on early learning and parent support. Her books include Thirty Million Words and Parent Nation.