What Words Are Worth

The 2010 Census results are in. While the majority of the national talk surrounding the census figures has focused on ethnic population growth across the country, some of the most interesting statistics that hit closer to home is the economic data of the Dallas area population. This is particularly important to Mi Escuelita Preschool, and you as a Mi Escuelita supporter, because ongoing research indicates a direct link between income and vocabulary development in children.

Studies show that low-income parents tend to speak less to their children and use a far more limited vocabulary. A well known landmark study titled Meaningful Differences in the Everday Experiences of Young American Children by professors Betty Hart and Todd Risely closely monitered and recorded the interactions of parents and their children in a variety of income settings. Their focus was on words heard by children during the first four years of their lives, a key time in a child's brain development. The study found that children living in poverty heard an average of 616 words per hour, compared to 2153 that a child in a wealthy home typically hears. That's 1537 more words per hour, that an upper-middle class child is exposed to. It's no wonder there that our low-income children are ill-prepared for school.

Its no surprise that educational institutions around the country have already recognized the link between early vocabulary development and academic performance. A child with a firm grasp on the English language will inevitably do better in school; it's a fact. At Mi Escuelita Preschool, these latest Census 2010 figures simply add purpose to our mission and reinforces the idea that these communities are in desperate need of our services. If Dallas area children are to be shining examples of what Texas education is all about, then a quality education must begin during preschool and it can successfully begin with strengthening vocabulary.

If you look at the latest income map of Dallas produced using the Census 2010 income data, Mi Escuelita's five campuses fall directly in some of the lowest income areas of the city. In fact our Crossover and St. Mathew's campuses are located in the lowest income bracket illustrated by this map. You can check out this interactive income map here www.tinyurl.com/incomezip .

Examining this map and considering that Mi Escuelita Preschool's primary mission is early language intervention, it very clear why the families in these neighborhoods need a school like ours. Children in Mi Escuelita classrooms are exposed to three new vocabulary words a day; words that are introduced by their teachers at the beginning of instruction and then incorporated into activities through the rest of the school day. This means by the end of the current 2010-2011 school years, Mi Escuelita students will have added 504 new English words to their vocabulary. If attending school for two year, these children will learn over 1000 new vocabulary words at Mi Escuelita. 1000 more reasons why these bright, young children will defy the odds and rise above the statistics of their neighborhood.

If you are interested in the study conducted by Hart and Risely, here is some information on the book published about their findings: http://tinyurl.com/4sbdbz7. Next week, we'll talk about another Mi Escuelita component that seeks to positively impact this correlation between income and vocabulary development...inside the home life of the child.