What do Hart and Risley 2003 mean by the 30 million word gap?
When extrapolated to the words heard by a child within the first four years of their life these results reveal a 30 million word difference. That is, a child from a high-income family will experience 30 million more words within the first four years of life than a child from a low-income family.
What did Hart and Risley discover?
Hart and Risley’s [1995] discovery of a 30-million-word gap in language to children from higher- and lower-SES backgrounds over the first three years of life is now widely cited in the popular press as well as in academic journals. But for more than a decade, this powerful study was essentially ignored.
How big is the gap between a child in a welfare family and a child in a professional family by age 3?
We base our estimate on the remarkable differences our data showed in the relative amounts of children’s early experience: Simply in words heard, the average child on welfare was having half as much experience per hour (616 words per hour) as the average working-class child (1,251 words per hour) and less than one- …
What is the significance of the 30 million word gap?
The “30 million word gap” refers to a research study conducted by psychologists Betty Hart and Todd Risley. Their study showed that children from lower-income families hear a staggering 30 million fewer words than children from higher-income families by the time they are 4 years old.
Why is it called 30 Million word gap?
— The concept that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds start out at a learning disadvantage because they hear fewer words than children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds — a so-called 30 million-word gap — should be explored with more detail, says a Purdue University social scientist and researcher.
How many words should a baby know by 2?
Speak in two- and three-word phrases or sentences. Use at least 200 words and as many as 1,000 words.
How many times does a child need to hear a word to learn it?
Prior studies suggest a student needs to hear a new word 28 times on average to remember it. The more sophisticated the word, the more important it is for students to have opportunities to recall the word, use it, and understand how it relates to other, similar words, Ms. Wright and Ms. Neuman said.
How many words does a child usually say by age 2?
Most kids say 1–2 words by 15 months and 3 or more words by 18 months. By 2 years old, most toddlers are saying even more words and can put together 2-word sentences. No matter when they say their first words, it’s a sure bet they already understand much of what you say.
Why does the word gap exist?
What is the word gap? This idea came from a study done in the 1990s by two psychologists, Betty Hart and Todd Risley, where language data was collected on 42 families of low, middle, and upper-socioeconomic levels. The study arguably showed that there was a 30 million word gap between upper- and lower-class families.
How many words do babies know by their first birthday?
Most children speak their first word between 10 to 14 months of age. By the time your baby is a year old, he or she is probably saying between one to three words. They will be simple, and not complete words, but you will know what they mean. They may say “ma-ma,” or “da-da,” or try a name for a sibling, pet, or toy.