Reducing the Word Gap

Did you know that “the single-best predictor of a child’s academic success is not parental education or socioeconomic status, but rather the quality and quantity of the words that a baby hears during his or her first three years?”

According to Why Boosting Poor Children’s Vocabulary Is Important for Public Health, by age three, “85 per­cent of neur­al con­nec­tions are formed, mean­ing it’s difficult for a child who has heard few words to catch up to his peers once he enters the school sys­tem.”

This is a Health Issue

Chil­dren with more words do bet­ter in school. Adults who were good stu­dents and earned a col­lege de­gree have longer life ex­pect­an­cies. They are at a lower risk for hy­per­ten­sion, de­pres­sion, and sleep prob­lems. They are less likely to be smokers and to be obese.

Currently, Geor­gia is the only state to implement programs to combat what they call “the word gap“. Through varied state programs, low income parents living in Georgia are being encouraged to talk, interact and read with their babies more.

Thank You

At the end of last year, we asked our readers to join our campaign to ensure every child has a Cricket magazine in their classroom for a whole year. Through our collective efforts, Give a year of Cricket and spark a lifetime of learning campaign, benefiting children in need through our non-profit partner, First Book, was able to raise funds to give 52 classrooms (more than 500 children!), a year of inspiring, award-winning Cricket magazines.

Cricket magazines spark curiosity, they inspire creativity and they throw open windows of possibility. Thank you for helping us create a lifetime foundation of literacy and learning.

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