Harper Lecture with Dana Suskind: What Difference Do 30 Million Words Make?

More about the UChicago Harper Lectures: Before they are even one year old, infants born into poverty score lower in cognitive development than their more affluent peers. By their fourth birthday, these children will have heard, on average, 30 million fewer words than others their age. Those 30 million missing words affect future learning, academic readiness and achievement, occupational status, and even health and social well-being in adulthood. Dana Suskind will discuss the University of Chicago’s Thirty Million Words Initiative, which she founded and directs. This behavioral research program translates emerging brain science into practical lessons—and behavioral nudges—that allow parents to harness the power of their words and nurture their children’s intellectual and educational capacity. Dana Suskind is professor of surgery and pediatrics and also directs the Pediatric Cochlear Implantation Program at the University of Chicago Medicine. She is an adviser on Hillary Clinton’s Too Small To Fail initiative and part of the White House initiative on ending the achievement gap. Purchase Suskind’s new book, Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain, at ➡ Subscribe: About #UChicago: Since its founding in 1890, the University of Chicago has been a destination for rigorous inquiry and field-defining research. This transformative academic experience empowers students and scholars to challenge conventional thinking in pursuit of original ideas. #UChicago on the Web: Home: News: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: University of Chicago on YouTube: *** ACCESSIBILITY: If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please email digicomm@.