Bridging the Word Gap Research Network

Too many children from underserved families enter school with a serious learning disadvantage - substantially smaller vocabularies than peers from more advantaged backgrounds. This difference in vocabulary is linked to significantly lower exposure to learning opportunities for children from low-SES backgrounds. Disparity in the home language-learning environment may have long-term disadvantages for health social-emotional academic and economic outcomes. While evidence-based strategies needed to enrich home learning environments and parent-child interaction are available most have not been adequately tested and scaled to narrow population-level disparities. By failing to support children's learning in their homeenvironments we are missing a significant point of leverage for improving children's futures.

Goals and objectives:

The Goal of this project is to extend the current work of the Bridging the Word Gap National Research Network (BWGRN) of promoting children's language development by enriching the language-learning environments of all children. With the goal of reducing the disparity of the home learning environments of young children the Network will carry out the following: 1) Develop and maintain an infrastructure for an interdisciplinary Research Network to foster the implementation of intervention research aimed at supporting the enrichment of children's early home learning environments; 2) Establish partnerships with programs serving underserved populations to carry out multi-site research activities; 3) Expand the evidence base and disseminate findings effective practices and related tools to key stakeholders parents educators researchers; policymakers and professionals in the health and community sectors; and 4) Enhance the research training of emerging scholars through mentorship to foster the next generation of BWG researchers.

Proposed activities and target populations:

The applicant Juniper Gardens Children's Project (JGCP) is the site of the original Hart & Risley word gap research and home of the current BWGNRN https://bwg.ku.edu/. In this application we propose to continue and expand work to advance the knowledge and practice needed to enhance home learning environments of young children from underserved families by completing project objectives in scientifically rigorous and socially meaningful ways for children and families.

Coordination:

To achieve objectives the PI CoPIs and the Research Network Advisory Board will oversee Network management. The Network will consist of a Network Coordinating Center (NCC) to provide core administrative and operational functions and 6 Collaborative Research Entities (CREs). The Advisory Board will consist of NCC members a representative from each CRE community members parents and HRSA representatives. This group will make recommendations for scientific issues related to Network research and dissemination activities.

Products:

A website and social media will link to BWGRN publications webinars and presentations about evidence-based practices promoting children's development and approaches for engaging families; research methodologies for measuring and intervening will be generated.

Evaluation:

Criteria for monitoring progress on goals and objectives are described. Advisory board members representing key stakeholders will assess the quality of products.

Lorio CM, Carta JJ, Stephens N. Exploring Language Development Support for Foster Children: A Scoping Review of Interventions for Foster Care Families. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2023;32(1):358-376. doi:10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00082 January 2023