1. Too Small to Fail Weaving Early Brain and Language Development into the Fabric of Communities
Begin – delighted to be here. So grateful for this opportunity to partner with all of you. Encouraged, excited that you all together are making early brain and language development in XYZ city a priority.
And so eager to engage with you all to lift up the importance of language-rich interactions btwn parents and their children starting at birth. We all know that this will make a critical difference in K readiness, third grade reading levels and all of the positive outcomes that follow. And THIS will give every child a chance at success in school and in life.
My hope for today…
1) Give you a sense of the overall goals and structure of TSTF and campaign
2) Share specific strategies we’ve implemented in other localities and some lessons learned
3) Give specific examples of ways for you to engage and move this forward, based on our experiences in other cities
4) Love to hear your questions

2. Too Small to Fail A Joint Initiative of the Clinton Foundation and The Opportunity Institute
GOALS:
Increase awareness and spark positive change in parents and communities to boost early brain and language development in children ages 0-5.
For parents and young children, make small moments big.
For communities, empower people and places to make these moments happen more often.
TSTF is a joint initiative.
Our goal is twofold – to both increase awareness about the importance of early brain and language development, and also to motivate action – to spark positive change in both parents and communities.
So for families, we aim to make “Small moments big” = increase the VALUE of meaningful engagement between parents and young children starting at birth through everyday activities like talking, reading and singing during routines like giving a bath or pushing a stroller to the bus stop.
And then, our goal is to really make early brain and language development a part of communities. We want to work with communities to support families and help make these language-rich moments happen more often.

3. Research: A Strong Base
Number of Words Learned 16 24 36
Total Words
200
600
1200
Many of you may have seen this research before. There is a general notion that there is a gap between the number of words that lower income children hear than their higher income peers, and that this gap leads to a gap in early vocabulary and kindergarten readiness.
But what this research REALLY shows us, and more importantly, is that we know the more that parents meaningfully engage with their young children, the more their child’s brain will grow and develop. And that is an amazing opportunity.
Child’s Age in Months
Child’s Age in Months
Source: Hart & Risley (1995)

4. Research: The Opportunity
Neuroplasticity
At birth years old years old
This shows what we know – the most dramatic brain growth happens in the first 5 years of life. Pointing this out to parents is not trying to induce panic like it’s too late, but to get some urgency and motivate to seize the opportunity.
Drawing supplied by H.T. Chugani M.D.,Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital of Michigan

5. Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read Sing Cities Strategy
Our campaign’s 3 components to motivate behavior change:
Trusted messengers in community touch points
Environmental prompts & paid media
Tools to facilitate change
So our cities strategy has three components. We believe that the campaign is most powerful when all three of these components are working together and mutually reinforcing.
1. Trusted messengers
2. Environmental prompts
3. Tools
We began our cities campaign in our pilot sites of Oakland and Tulsa, and we have been active there for over a year now.

6. Tools for Parents & Caregivers
Start with tools and toolkit.
Here are some of the Talking is Teaching tools that we have developed, in partnership with experts and tested with parents. We plan to use these for our campaign.
Our goal with these tools was to create something that parents will actually use with their young children, to remind them and give them ideas for meaningful engagement. When we first did focus groups with families, before starting this campaign, we found that the message of the importance of talking, reading and singing resonated with families, but they wanted specific ideas for how to do more of it. Especially for pre-verbal.
So we developed a unique baby clothing line with Goodby, which has prompts created in consultation with early childhood experts.
We also know that families love having more books to share with their children, so we include a book.
And we have also created a series of tip sheets with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Education, which provides a developmental milestone chart and tips for families.
Tote Bag Baby Blanket Book Tip Sheet

7. Environmental Prompts
We want to be creative and flexible in how we reach parents. Our goal is to engage families through multiple touch points in the everyday places they go together – like the library!
Libraries will be receiving campaign posters to display in various spots; here and on the next slide are examples.
You can use these posters to model how parents can engage with their children. Each poster is about parent-child engagement on a different topic. At the beginning of the campaign, parents told us they want more information about what to talk about – so the posters include helpful prompts for parents to engage with their child. (GIVE EXAMPLES; SHOW WHAT LIBRARIANS CAN DO)
Researchers found that when these types of signs were posted in grocery stores in low-income neighborhoods, children and their caregivers were nearly four times more likely to engage in vocabulary-rich “talk” compared to when signs were not posted.
These messages are intended to provide families with reminders about the importance of engaging with their young children, as well as provide specific ideas for things to talk about.

8. Environmental Prompts
We want to be creative and flexible in how we reach parents. Our goal is to engage families through multiple touch points in the everyday places they go together – like the library!
Libraries will be receiving campaign posters to display in various spots; here and on the next slide are examples.
You can use these posters to model how parents can engage with their children. Each poster is about parent-child engagement on a different topic. At the beginning of the campaign, parents told us they want more information about what to talk about – so the posters include helpful prompts for parents to engage with their child. (GIVE EXAMPLES; SHOW WHAT LIBRARIANS CAN DO)
Researchers found that when these types of signs were posted in grocery stores in low-income neighborhoods, children and their caregivers were nearly four times more likely to engage in vocabulary-rich “talk” compared to when signs were not posted.
These messages are intended to provide families with reminders about the importance of engaging with their young children, as well as provide specific ideas for things to talk about.

9. Environmental Prompts
We want to be creative and flexible in how we reach parents. Our goal is to engage families through multiple touch points in the everyday places they go together.
Families can see our messages in their local laundromats through our “Wash Time is Talk Time” initiative, in local grocery stores in Tulsa, or when a family in Oakland is waiting for their bus.
Researchers found that when these types of signs were posted in grocery stores in low-income neighborhoods, children and their caregivers were nearly four times more likely to engage in vocabulary-rich “talk” compared to when signs were not posted.
These messages are intended to provide families with reminders about the importance of engaging with their young children, as well as provide specific ideas for things to talk about.
Bus shelters
Laundromats
Playgrounds
Grocery Stores

10. Your Role as Trusted Messengers
Families rely on you for support, information and guidance
You’re in a unique position to share the messages of the campaign and provide specific suggestions to families
Let families know the power of their words and interactions with their children – they are supporting their child’s growing brain and building skills that will last a lifetime!

11. Key Messages for Families
Acknowledge Families’ Strengths
Encourage Engagement
Small Moments Matter
Here are some messages and tips to guide your discussions, along with any examples you can share from your own experiences.
Acknowledge families’ strengths. Explore and recognize what families already do to support their child’s development. Help families find activities that work best for them and their child.
Encourage engagement. Engagement is essential to promoting brain development and helps children feel safe and loved, even before they can talk!
Engagement is physical affection – holding and snuggling with a child during reading time.
It’s loving and responsive communication – responding to babies’ coos and asking toddlers open-ended questions.
It’s giving attention – making eye contact while singing to a baby or dancing with a toddler.
When families engage with their children, they are building skills that will last a lifetime.
Small moments matter. Let families know that every opportunity to talk, read and sing with children is an opportunity to help them grow. You can do it while changing a diaper, giving a bath, or during mealtime. Every small moment together matters!

12. Campaign Materials as Conversation Starters
Reading is a wonderful way to spend time with your child and build important language and literacy skills
This guide is full of tips and activities to help you make the most out of talking, reading and singing.
Books: Read in whatever language you feel most comfortable. Point and talk about the pictures with your baby. Ask questions about the story with your toddler. You can turn the pages and describe the pictures even if you aren’t comfortable reading.
Blanket/towel/clothing: Find creative ways to talk and sing about the things around you – when
you on the bus, at the store, making dinner, or going for a walk. Use the 5 senses when talking – describe how things taste, feel, look,
sound, and smell.
These fun items inspire talking, reading and singing during daily routines

13. Young Toddlers 12 to 24 Months: Literacy Guidance
The parent/caregiver can
point and label objects in the book
ask the child to identify common objects on the page —book, ball
expand on the child's verbal initiatives —"yes, it’s a truck! good! it's a red truck!";
use the book for a transition to bed or nap times.
Toddlers 12 to 24 months of age are increasing their receptive language skills.
With good stimulation, typically toddlers use their first words at 11 to 14 months
They often experience a real "spurt" of language growth at about 18 months. At the end of this period they begin to combine words
the child holds the small sturdy book;
the child identifies common objects in the book;
the child turns board book pages without help from the adult; (at one year, the child turns pages a few at a time; at two years, she can turn single pages systematically, letting you know she is ready for paper-pages.)
It is important to follow the child's point of interest —such as naming the object that the child points to, and letting the child turn a page when she is ready.
books which still have sturdy board pages;
books which contain familiar objects children will be able to identify;
books which include rhymes and sound effects —such as animal sounds;
books which have a theme orientation —such as shapes and colors.
Source: Reach Out and Read

14. Older Toddlers 24 to 36 Months: Literacy Guidance
The parent/caregiver can
make reading part of the days activities —such as pointing to stop signs
relate the story in the text to the child —"you like to play ball too“
give the child a chance to complete rhymes in a poem
read a book at transitions such as nap times and bedtime.
Toddlers 12 to 24 months of age are increasing their receptive language skills.
With good stimulation, typically toddlers use their first words at 11 to 14 months
They often experience a real "spurt" of language growth at about 18 months. At the end of this period they begin to combine words
the child holds the small sturdy book;
the child identifies common objects in the book;
the child turns board book pages without help from the adult; (at one year, the child turns pages a few at a time; at two years, she can turn single pages systematically, letting you know she is ready for paper-pages.)
It is important to follow the child's point of interest —such as naming the object that the child points to, and letting the child turn a page when she is ready.
books which still have sturdy board pages;
books which contain familiar objects children will be able to identify;
books which include rhymes and sound effects —such as animal sounds;
books which have a theme orientation —such as shapes and colors.
Source: Reach Out and Read

15. Preschoolers 3 to 5 Years: Literacy Guidance
The parent/caregiver can
let the child try to tell the story (while the parent is reading)
ask "open-ended questions" such as "what do you think will happen next?"
try to respond to the child's questions about the text as she reads
the parent point out letters of the child's name and make the sounds of the letters.
Using the book in the exam allows the provider to bring up specific early literacy guidance for daily routines. Pediatricians emphasize “dialogic reading”
the child is able to answer questions about the story in complex language —"what is happening on this page?;
the child begins to ask questions about the text —parent will know that "why" questions are prominent;
the child participates in the story —preschoolers are beginning to anticipate the outcome of the character's actions, "he's going to fall off";
the child recognizes letter and print conventions —children try to write letters and often recognize letters of their name in the book.
Source: Reach Out and Read

16. Working with Parents Whose First Language Is Not English
When possible, make books in the parents first language available
Reassure families that in whatever language is most comfortable for them, reading aloud creates good associations with books and reading
Limited Literacy: It is important to think about early literacy in the context of the family —parents themselves may have low literacy skills or they may have very negative associations with books and reading and school.
Parents who did not succeed in learning to read in their own school experience are frequently worried about reading with their child.
Reach Out and Read providers often talk about “looking at books” or “sharing books” rather than reading.
They emphasize the value of storytelling and of looking at pictures together.
Selecting books that have very few words on a page may allow the parent with limited reading skills to feel comfortable reading.
the child’s book can be “both a window to new cultures and a mirror reflecting ones own
Source: Reach Out and Read

17. Group Engagement With Families
Script for Parents:
What are some daily activities that seem boring or pull you away from time with your child?
How could we make a game or interact while doing that same activity?
At Touchpoints:
Where could you display the posters?
What current activities do you offer for families? How could you incorporate the campaign’s creatives and messages into existing programming?
How can you encourage parents to maintain this engagement in their daily lives?